A Name of Their Own
by wishilivedinbooks
Summary: It was always inevitable that the children of the generation that lived through the Second Wizarding War would have an unrivaled thirst to prove themselves worthy of their parents that would eventually lead to things the wizarding world couldn't possibly have hoped to predict. The New Generation characters, and how they left their own legacy at Hogwarts. (Eventual Rose/Scorpius)
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so first up, this is my first fanfic, so I'm not sure how it is. This chapter starts out centered around Teddy, but this will mostly be centered around Rose, Scorpius, and Albus... so, any reviews would be appreciated, although you don't have to. I'd also like to add that the memory towards the end of the chapter is directly from The Philosopher's Stone. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

It was always inevitable that the children of the generation that lived through the Second Wizarding War would have an unrivaled thirst to prove themselves worthy of their parents that would eventually lead to things the wizarding world couldn't possibly have hoped to predict.

This common desire to prove themselves, more than anything, was what banded them all together so tightly, despite the age differences – and differences in family.

The children were by no means stupid, and even without being told, they could see that there was something special about their parents – there had to be a reason for the whispers that followed them through the streets of Diagon Alley; the respect evident in the eyes of surrounding wizards; and, perhaps the most disconcerting for the children, the expectation they were regarded with by everybody who laid eyes upon them.

The only thing worse than being famous as a war legend was being famous as the children of those famous as war legends. The oldest, Teddy Lupin, was the one the children credited with having brought them all together, however.

When Teddy was eight years old, his Grandma Drommie had informed him that he had a new relative: her sister, Narcissa Malfoy, with whom she had tentatively begun to speak after the war's end, had just had a grandson, and was bringing him over to visit his great-aunt.

"Scorpius is only a baby," Grandma Drommie told him, "and he isn't like you, so you _can't_ try to make him change his nose by nearly breaking it again, understand?"

Teddy frowned. He had only done that once, when Vic was born, and he hadn't even been two years old then! He was _eight _now; he knew nearly breaking a baby's nose wouldn't solve the fact that it wasn't a metamorphmagus like he was.

He nodded anyway, and when Scorpius arrived, he stared in fascination. The baby had scruffy blond hair, almost as untidy as Teddy's adoptive little brother, James' had been. The baby's hair was a dark gold, in contrast to his father's platinum blond hair, and he had his mother's eyes – a stormy mix of dark grey and blue.

"How old is he?" Teddy demanded eagerly, instantly fascinated.

Narcissa's eyes softened. "A month," she answered, smiling gently at the excited boy. Surprising her sister, she had developed a soft spot for Teddy Lupin, despite his parentage. That was not to say she didn't scowl a little when she saw Teddy teasing Vic by turning her hair into stone, something he had learned to do when he was four, but nobody expected Narcissa to ever like the Weasley family. After all, Molly Weasley had killed her other sister, although Andromeda couldn't blame her.

Teddy's eyes were round. "He doesn't look like Al," he observed, staring up at his grandmother. "What's Rose gonna look like?"

Andromeda hid a smile as Narcissa's smile vanished at hearing the name of the newest Weasley child – Ron and Hermione were having a daughter, only four months after Harry and Ginny had had their second son, Albus Severus.

"We don't know," she told him, glaring at Narcissa, but Teddy had already noticed Narcissa's thinly veiled dislike.

"Don't you like Rose?" Teddy asked Narcissa, his normally mischievous face looking suspicious. He may have been only eight, but he was already starting to notice the tension between his two families, and how when one was visiting, the other never did.

Narcissa merely forced a smile at the child and gathered Scorpius into her arms. "We'll visit later, Drommie," she told her sister. "Good-bye, Teddy."

"Bye," Teddy answered, still slightly suspicious. As Narcissa left, he shrugged it off, finding a new distraction in the owl that had just arrived at the window.

* * *

When Teddy was ten, he discovered the secret that started it all. He at the Potters' that summer, and Vic, Dom, and their little brother Louis were visiting. Louis, being James' age, was not much amusement, and Dom, being five, was curled up on the couch taking a nap, but Vic was a lot of fun.

Uncle Harry was back from the Aurors' office, and Aunt Ginny had just put James to bed, so when Teddy and Vic begged them for a flying lesson, they acquiesced amiably. It was well known that Aunt Angelina and Aunt Ginny were the aunts to go to if one aspired to become a Chaser, as both had played for England. (Teddy had once seen a kid wearing a Holyhead Harpies T-shirt with Aunt Ginny's autograph on it.)

Teddy actually wanted to be a Keeper, and Oliver (Oliver Wood, professional Quidditch star and World Cup winning Keeper) had given him some hints, but he could think of none other than his Uncle Harry to help him with his flying.

Uncle Charlie, a Seeker, was a Hogwarts Quidditch legend, but his Uncle Harry had been the youngest Seeker in a century and a Quidditch legend as well. Teddy was a naturally excellent flyer (it seemed to run in the family, despite his not being related by blood) and Harry had assured him that he was sure to make the team his second year.

Teddy and Vic, who wanted to be a Chaser, would have like to have made it their first year, but Harry was an exception that wasn't likely to be made again, even for flyers as talented as they were.

They had finished the game tired but happy, and Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had urged to run off, feeling exhausted themselves. Teddy had gone barreling down the hallways of Potter Manor, which was a sprawling countryside manor, with Victoire chasing after him when he'd almost run into one of the house-elves, Maud.

He threw himself to the side, hitting a door with a loud thud. Vic winced, scrambling to help him up, but abruptly froze and gasped, staring at something above his head. Teddy looked up saw that the door was glowing – a strange, whitish light was emanating from the cracks in the doorway, outlining it in a shining halo of light.

Nervously, he realized he was in his Harry's private library, which was strictly forbidden. Vic gaped at the door. "_Qu'est-ce que c'est?_" she breathed in French, looking fascinated. When shocked, she had a habit of letting out bits of French, a habit she had picked up from her mother, Teddy's Aunt Fleur.

"No idea," Teddy muttered back, trying to hold back his curiosity. Harry wouldn't like it if he found out. But Teddy was the son of a Marauder, after all, and he couldn't help himself. Exchanging a glance with Vic, he pushed open the door, revealing what looked like a large goblet.

They inched forward, and the door shut behind them with a bang. They both jumped. "Oh, no. . . _zut, zut, zut. . . _ce n'est pas –"

"Yes, it is," Teddy interrupted her, who had picked up enough French to know what she was saying. "Nobody's going to enter, I don't think; everyone's asleep or in the kitchen, and don't you think it would look suspicious if the door was wide open?"

Vic glared at him and marched forward, sticking her face in the goblet. "What do you think it's for?" she wondered, prodding it with a finger.

Teddy joined her, leaning in. The oversized goblet held a viscous, silvery-blue substance. He briefly saw a face that looked oddly like a young Uncle Harry. "Did you see that?" he hissed at Victoire, whose eyes were the size of a house-elf's.

She prodded it again, and with a startled scream, she fell into the goblet, pulling Teddy with her.

They landed beside the young Uncle Harry, who looked straight through them as if they weren't there. "Give it here, Malfoy," he ordered, and Teddy and Victoire spun to find a sneering Draco Malfoy behind them, holding a broom.

The two children watched in awe as Harry displayed incredible skill on a broomstick, performing a fifty-foot dive and catching a remembrall out of the air. "Whoa," Teddy breathed. They watched with bated breath as Headmistress McGonagall appeared, whisking Harry away.

She stopped in a classroom and asked to borrow wood, and a second later –

"Is that _Oliver?_" Vic demanded, staring.

"I think so, yeah," Teddy answered softly, watching as Harry was made the new Gryffindor Seeker, becoming the youngest in a century. The memory dissolved, and they fell out of the goblet, staring at each other as they were returned to Potter Manor.

And that was how it all started.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the two of you who left reviews! This one is a long one. . . **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"Can I come too?" Albus Potter demanded eagerly, leaning forward.

James turned to him and smirked. "Sorry, you're too young," he sighed wisely, ruffling up his little brother's hair.

"By a year!" Al was outraged. Typically, he was a very even-tempered person, but his brother had the ability to get on his nerves like no other.

Teddy smiled down at Al. "Next year," he promised. "And remember, not a word to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, understood?"

Al and James exchanged glances and nodded dutifully. They both looked up to the tall, handsome fourth year in front of them; he was like their brother. Teddy grinned as Louis and Fred arrived. Taking them by the shoulder, he lead them away.

They were gone for a few hours; Al's mum had left Teddy to look after them and his dad was away on an Auror mission with his Uncle Ron. Al waited impatiently in his room, wondering what Teddy was showing James, Louis, and Fred.

Every time anyone in their family turned eight, they were taken aside by Teddy (and if possible, the other older children) to receive some sort of initiation. When they came back, there was always something different about them, a sort of newfound confidence and a weight of understanding and determination.

Al, Rose, Hugo, and Lily, the youngest of the Weasley children, had sat by for hours whispering mad theories about what they could possibly be doing. Al turned to look at his little sister. Lily Luna Potter was tiny, although that may have been a side-effect of being five years old, and she had dark red hair to match their mother's (although she had received her grandmother Lily's thick waves) and alluring brown eyes to go with them. Her brothers doted on her.

"Hey, Al!" Al jumped, turning to find his cousins Rose and Hugo in his room, dusting ash from the Floo off their clothes. "Sorry we're late. Mum wouldn't let me leave until I told her Teddy was here," Rose explained, looking around. "Today's the day, then?"

Al nodded. They had learned by now that attempting to follow their cousins would get them nowhere; instead, on every initiation day, the youngest would collect in a room and promptly start discussing theories again.

"Rosie?" Lily asked, yawning sleepily.

Rose grinned at her little cousin. "Hey, Lils. You're just in time! Teddy took James, Louis, and Fred away."

Instantly, Lily sat up straight, her eyes wide. "Maybe they're part of a giant smuggling ring! Maybe they're trying to bring Crumple-horned Snorkacks out of Mexico!"

"Don't be stupid." Hugo rolled his eyes, joining Lily on the bed. He and Lily were every bit as close as Al and Rose were. The children had formed little circles inside the family, although they were all a very tight-knit bunch – more so the older ones; going through initiation seemed to bring them closer together. It was Teddy, Victoire, and Molly, Dominique and Lucy, James, Fred, and Louis, Albus and Rose, and Lily, Roxanne, and Hugo. They were often joined by Alice, Neville's daughter who was Al and Rose's age, and Rowan and Morgan, Oliver's daughters, who were James and Lily's ages, respectively. Luna's children, the twins Lorcan and Lysander, were both Lily's age as well.

"Crumple-horned Snorkacks are only found in cold areas," Hugo continued, bringing Al back to the present.

"You've been listening to Luna too much," Rose said disapprovingly. "You know what Lysander told Dom? He said that his mum had found a lot of new magical creatures that really did exist, and that she supposed the Snorkacks are extinct because she hasn't found any trace of them. Apparently she only keeps looking for the memory of their granddad, Xenophilius Lovegood."

They digested that information. Finally, Al remembered, "We're getting off topic! And Lily, no more about smuggling rings. We've _got _to tell James, Fred, and Louis to censor what they say around you."

And they talked long into the night. Somewhere just after one o'clock, the older boys returned. James's hazel eyes, typically filled with mischief, were oddly serious, and Fred's typical grin had been wiped off his face. Louis's face was stoically unexpressive.

"Are you all right?" Lily ventured, looking up at them. James and Fred bore uncanny resemblances to their namesakes, and seeing them serious was a little worrying.

"Of course we are," Louis assured her, standing as tall as his little eight-year-old self could manage. Vic and Dom came up behind them, and the younger kids stood staring at the older kids.

Al and Rose looked at each other, green eyes meeting blue with startling intensity. Next year, it was their turn.

* * *

When Al and Rose were taken aside, it was at the annual Christmas Weasley gathering. They were all crammed into the Burrow, with multiple enlargement charms, and Lily, Roxanne, Lysander, Lorcan, Morgan, and Hugo were covering for the older kids, who were supposed to be "taking them out for a bit of fun."

Using side-along apparition, they managed to get all of them to Potter manor. Someone was waiting for them there. "All right. Guys, I want you to meet Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," Teddy declared. A boy Rose and Al's age, with dark gold hair and sparkling grey-blue eyes, stepped forward with a wave.

Al took an immediate liking to the boy. The name _Scorpius Hyperion _was every bit as bad as _Albus Severus_, and Al felt a flash of triumph upon seeing the boy's hair, which was as messy as his own.

Rose was thinking among the same lines, albeit with less triumph; she had gotten her mother's bushy curls and buckteeth and her father's gangly height and blue eyes. Her hair was a pretty bronze, at least, she consoled herself, and her name, Rose Ginevra, was not too bad at all.

The older cousins were exchanging glances, but none of the initiates-to-be noticed. As Alice, Rose, and Al rushed forward to greet Scorpius, Teddy talked to the older ones in a low voice. "He's just like us, guys. He wants to escape the family name and make one of his own. And he's my family, so he's our family."

Lucy tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "He was raised by an ex-Death Eater," she pointed out.

Scorpius's head snapped up at this. "He's changed," he said evenly, turning to stare at her. "And he was never evil – he's a _Healer _now; he hasn't instructed me to go on a rampage the second I'm sorted, beating everyone who looks like they might be a Muggleborn over the head with a broomstick."

"What's he talking about?" Rose hissed to Albus.

"Aunt Mione, Uncle Ron, and Dad saved his dad's life?" Albus whispered back, looking bewildered.

Nobody noticed them. Lucy was smirking at Scorpius's outburst. "I hope to see you in my house, then."

The Gryffindors in the family – Teddy and Dominique – immediately burst into a chorus of protests. "What's your house?" Scorpius asked curiously, watching Teddy's normally calm expression become fierce with indignation.

"Slytherin," Lucy drawled, "the best house at Hogwarts."

This was a very dangerous thing to say within a fifty-kilometer radius of the Weasleys. It was good to know that the Gryffindor attitude of being proud to the point of reckless idiocy had not passed her up completely.

Scorpius's eyes went wide. "You're a _what?_" he gasped.

Teddy recovered the quickest. "We don't have time for this," he said impatiently. "Everybody, inside, now!"

* * *

Scorpius had never been to Potter Manor before. He was so busy staring at a picture of three men – one who looked suspiciously like James playing with a snitch while the dark-haired, handsome fellow beside him distracted their friend, who was trying to write an essay – that he didn't notice when James announced dramatically, "The Pensieve, young children!"

He heard Albus and Alice gasp, and he turned around to find a large, glowing goblet in front of him.

"It's a giant goblet," Rose stated flatly, speaking his thoughts aloud. "This is the life-changing Weasley family secret? A giant _goblet?_"

Fred look insulted. "This is not just a _goblet, _Rosie! It's a pensieve! Even better, it's forbidden!"

"One of those memory holding things Dad told us about?" Albus wondered, recovering.

Teddy beckoned them forward, and they all went inside. "What I'm going to show you will take around six hours," he told them. "You need to watch closely. It may be difficult to understand at first, but you're all smart – you'll get there. Vic understood at about your age. Now, lunch was at twelve, about fifteen minutes ago, and dinner's at seven, so we've got just enough time. We'll sneak back here tonight, when everyone's asleep, and finish off. Before anything, though, I need your word – this is all a secret. Got it?"

They nodded dutifully, and Teddy pulled them into the pensieve.

* * *

Albus, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice stood together, stunned. Every one of the older kids was serious and silent for once, watching a bit sadly as their younger cousins were changed before their eyes.

The childish naivety was still somewhat there, but the look in their eyes was far too mature for eight-year-olds. They were all shocked at what they'd just seen – their own parents, war legends? _Heroes? _

Alice was the one who broke the silence, her brown eyes unusually solemn. "Those horcruxes," she said slowly, "they don't keep you fully alive, do they?"

The adults would be horrified to hear an eight-year-old speaking about such dark magic. But they needed to know. "It's very dark magic, and you can't ever mention it, do you understand me? This version – it's closer to the truth than most of the population of wizards that actually lived through the war will ever know. And we've got to keep it that way."

Albus was staring at the far wall, looking uneasy. "I wish they'd have told us," he said softly.

James looked down at him fiercely. "We'll never keep secrets from you," he declared. "No matter how dark, how dangerous, you can always ask us."

Victoire shrugged. "As the Ravenclaws believe, knowledge is far better than ignorance."

"And power is more useful to you than bliss," Lucy agreed. She winked at them. "Just a little Slytherin wisdom."

The mood was getting too intense for the eight-year-olds. "I can see why Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter and Mrs. Weasley hated my dad," Scorpius spoke up. "He was such a – such a Slytherin."

Dominique grinned at this. Needless to say, the memories were definitely changing the younger kids' view of Slytherin.

"Slytherin's not like that anymore," Lucy growled, narrowing her eyes at him.

Scorpius looked at her defiantly. "You'd think so."

"You don't want to get on her bad side," Rose hissed under her breath. She and Albus stepped in front of their new friend protectively.

"I worked hard to build up Slytherin's reputation." Lucy spoke in a low voice, her icy eyes glittering.

Surprisingly, it was Molly who spoke. "You're one of us," she assured him dismissively. "Lucy wouldn't really hurt you. She might be planning something horrible on the first-year Gryffindors, 'in case they need to learn what Slytherin House is really about,' so I'd shut up about it if I were you."

"We should be going back," Rowan warned, checking the time.

Teddy turned to look at the four. "Wait in your rooms until one of us comes to get you," he instructed. "When it's safe, we'll finish off here."

"There's more?" Rose asked, surprised.

"And it's even more interesting than this is," Rowan confirmed, grinning broadly.

"How could it possibly be more interesting?" Scorpius demanded. "This was amazing!"

"Because this is about _them_," Lucy answered. "What you'll learn next. . . it's all about _us_."

Rose, Al, Scorpius, and Alice exchanged bewildered glances.

"I want to be my dad when I grow up," Alice announced suddenly.

The older kids all turned to look at her. It was Louis who answered her. "Trust me," he promised. "You'll be _better_ than your dad."


	3. Chapter 3

**This** **ended up being a ****_lot _****longer than I expected. It turned out a little differently from what I originally intended, but I decided to just go with it.** **Please, do review! Even if it's to offer suggestions or criticism, I'd really appreciate it. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"They've got the _look_," Rose heard Lily whisper to Morgan, who nodded solemnly in agreement.

Hugo was interested enough to stop shoveling food into his mouth for a moment. "I love you, Rose," he blurted out randomly, loud enough that most of the adults heard. Hermione was giving her son a strange look; he was very like Ron and didn't usually say stuff like that. "Just wanted to put that out there," he added casually, noticing all the stares.

The adults returned to their dinners and conversations while the kids snickered knowingly. Hugo took the opportunity to scarf down a chicken leg before turning to look up at his sister pleadingly. "Please tell me," he begged, blinking his large brown eyes innocently up at her.

She looked down at him seriously, affecting a James-esque air. "You'll understand when you're older," she told her little brother.

Lily joined in. "Did you battle a dragon?" she asked eagerly, pitching her voice low enough that nobody at the adult table heard her.

"You're all becoming unregistered animaligi, aren't you?" Hugo accused.

"It's _animagi_, Hugo!" Rose rolled her eyes at Al.

"I bet you're enchanting a flying car!" Lysander chimed in – they had been told _some _things by the adults.

"It's definitely something illegal," Lorcan agreed.

"Are you sneaking off to see Victor Krum for flying lessons?" Morgan asked, apparently forgetting exactly to whom they were related – it wasn't as if there was any international level skill in the family, after all – just, oh, Angelina Johnson, Ginny Weasley, Charlie Weasley,and _Harry Potter, _to name a few. "Because my dad told me he's an excellent flyer, and I know Hermione knows him personally."

Rose just tuned them out, inching her chair back sneakily to eavesdrop on the adults. Not missing the movement, Lucy caught her eye and winked.

"We'll definitely continue the tradition," Uncle Harry was saying enthusiastically. "Do you remember in first year, when McGonagall got me that Nimbus 2000? Malfoy looked like he was going to cry!"

There were roaring bouts of laughter, and Rose allowed herself a smile at the memory. "Malfoy was a right git," her father agreed venomously. "Served him right. I've heard he's got a son who's Rose and Al's age."

Rose and Al stiffened at this. "Do you think Scorpius is having fun at his country house?" Al asked her, looking concerned. They didn't live at Malfoy Manor because Scorpius's dad had wanted to escape the memories; Narcissa lived there alone.

"I hope so," she answered. "Anyway, we'll see him again later." And they returned to their eavesdropping.

"Ronald!" Rose's mum was scolding. "Honestly, you don't even know the boy. What if it turns out he's nothing like his father?"

"Besides," Uncle Harry added, "I've heard from Seamus that he's really changed. They went to Healing school together – and besides, the boy may very well be the black sheep of the Malfoy family. Think what Sirius would say."

Rose and Al exchanged glances again. Rose wished she'd gotten the chance to meet Sirius Black, after having seen memories of him.

"Whatever," Ron grumbled, looking reproachfully at his best mates for ganging up on him. "I still can't believe Seamus became a Healer, though."

Aunt Ginny joined the conversation. "The year you left Hogwarts for – you know," and she lowered her voice with a furtive glance in their direction – "well, it was rough, Ron. After seeing that much violence, it doesn't surprise me that Seamus wanted to do what he could to counteract it."

"It's been going really well," Rose's mum said after a while. "I haven't heard a thing about pureblood mania ever since – well, ever since back then, really."

Uncle Harry turned to look at the children affectionately, his gaze lingering on Teddy, who immediately struck up a conversation with Rose and Al as if they'd been talking all along. ". . . and those O.W.L.s are _killing _me! And with all the extra Quidditch practice – we'd better win the Cup this year. . ."

"Everything we went through was worth it," Uncle Harry proclaimed with finality. "I think they'd be proud." He spoke up. "Your O.W.L.s will go great, Teddy, believe me. You're smart. And as for the Quidditch Cup –"

Ron broke in here. "Gryffindor is the best house, I don't care what they say," he finished. "There's no way you'll lose to those Puffs, or even the Claws, and you'd better not lose to the Slytherins."

Lucy sat up, overhearing the last comment. "Why not?" she demanded. "Slytherin is just as good as Gryffindor –"

"Sorry, Luce," Rose's dad told her kindly. Rose grimaced at Al. "But Gryffindor is going to demolish you Slytherin pansies."

Lucy narrowed her eyes in that dangerous Slytherinesque expression. "We'll see," she promised, her ire vanishing now that she realized it was just some healthy house competition and not another person proclaiming her house to be evil.

"And don't dismiss us Ravenclaws," Victoire scolded her uncle. "All you Gryffindors do is make reckless maneuvers and try to fight your way to the cup through sheer will and pure nerve. Ravenclaws actually have strategy."

"Hey!" Teddy protested. She shrugged at him, knowing full well that Gryffindor was acknowledged as the most talented team at Hogwarts, and his eyes narrowed at her. "Is that why Gryffindor has won the Cup every year since I joined the team?"

"Slytherin's going to get it," Lucy promised him. "We're going to show you brainless fools what things like _cunning _and _ambition_ can do for you."

"You've already shown us what your so-called 'cunning' and 'ambition' have done for you," Teddy retorted coolly. "They've lost you the Quidditch Cup. Every. Single. Year."

"And besides," Uncle Harry nodded, "I was the youngest Seeker in a century in my day. For _Gryffindor._ We were undoubtedly the most talented team there."

"Besides," Hermione grudgingly allowed herself to be drawn into the argument – House pride, after all – "you just call us 'brainless fools' because you know you can't match up to our daring and chivalry. We're determined, too – that's why our houses clash. Difference is, Slytherins trample people in their path, while Gryffindors get what we want the noble way: through pure skill, unflinching courage, and unwavering determination."

Dominique applauded her aunt. "Hear, hear!" she cried; she was a first year Gryffindor.

Uncle Percy, however, who had caught the ending of that conversation, cleared his throat, clearly irritated. "Now, I know Lu's a Slytherin, but that's no call to be insulting her like that."

Lucy opened her mouth to argue, but Uncle Percy didn't give her the chance. "Really, she's your own family. I'm surprised at you – the example you're setting. Just consider yourself lucky to be in the presence of an actually decent Slytherin!"

Lucy's icy blue eyes flashed. "I'm not the _only _decent Slytherin!" she told her father coldly.

Percy looked taken aback. "You've misunderstood me," he told his daughter patronizingly. "It's just that you've got ambition – as did I at your age – but not the pureblood mania and propensity to be cruel."

To the adults, Lucy was staring back impassively, but the cousins caught the tightening of her jaw. Teddy put his arm on Lucy's shoulder, and the cousins saw her relax. To the adults, Teddy was just being comforting.

Rose and Al exchanged glances unhappily. That was about to become the annual Weasley gathering shouting match – every time the family got together, there was some huge row that occurred. Always – they really couldn't leave until it was over.

It turned out to be enough, though. "We're going to go upstairs," Teddy told the adults, and they nodded agreeably. The cousins all filed upstairs, cramming into what was now the bedroom shared by Teddy, James, and Al.

As the youngest, who had not yet been initiated, made to follow them in, Vic shook her head warningly. "Sorry, guys – you know how this goes. Off to bed with you lot."

Sulking, they scarpered off. "Hold on – they've probably gone to get the new Extendable Ears –" James began, and Louis continued.

"– but Uncle George was kind enough to give us the counter charm, which he invented himself, to the ears –"

"– because we help him with the WWW sometimes, and he thinks we can't use magic anyway, so we'd probably forget it," Fred finished. "It's the only charm that works against the ears."

Al frowned. "What do you mean, he _thinks_ you can't use magic? You don't even have wands yet! And Teddy and Molly and Vic and Lucy and everyone can't do the spell because of that Underage Magic Decree thingy."

Molly smiled at them. "Al, Rose, you've got to go get Scorpius from Malfoy Manor before we explain anything," she told them, as Louis whispered the spell in Teddy's ear.

"Why do we have to do it?" Rose demanded. "And how?"

"Because he's in your year – as for how, side-along Apparition, of course!"

"But none of us can Apparate –" Al broke off as Molly gave him a look. "Right. Explanations later – is Teddy going to do it, then?"

Teddy grinned over at them. "I learned how last week," he said proudly. "But I've been practicing since the beginning of this year. Still, a fifth year who can secretly Apparate – impressive, don't you think?"

"But I thought they don't teach Apparition to anyone younger than seventeen," Rose frowned. "You'd have to miraculously figure it out on your own, and what are the chances of that?"

James winked at her. "Insane intelligence runs in our blood," he told her.

Teddy ran a hand through his hair before taking out his wand. "_Muffliato._"

"Is that the Extendable Ear blocking spell?" Rose demanded eagerly, brimming with curiosity.

"Nah," Vic answered. "That's just a spell for muffling sound. It's great for conversations you don't want others to overhear. Third years aren't supposed to know it, of course, but I've used it before anyway."

"I'm starting to see a trend here," muttered Al.

"Anyway, Alice should be here any moment, so take my arms, both of you," Teddy instructed. Rose felt a sudden loud popping noise, and an extreme sense of vertigo overtook her. She felt as if someone was trying to vacuum her insides up through her nose. The world stopped spinning suddenly, and she and Al staggered like drunks for several moments before promptly being violently sick into some nearby bushes.

Teddy nodded sympathetically at them. "Did that on my first try, too," he added. He reached up to feel his hair. "Thank Merlin," he sighed in relief. "The first few times I did it, I kept leaving my hair behind. It was horrible."

Al looked mildly alarmed. "Is this Scorpius's palace?" Rose asked incredulously, taking no notice of her cousins.

"It's not a palace. It's a mansion. A large mansion," Teddy corrected her, looking amused. "You two go in. I'll wait out here. And hurry, before someone notices!"

Rose and Al decided to take it the old fashioned way – they picked a random window and spent fifteen minutes attempting to scale a tree to it before finally succeeding. Luckily, the room the tumbled into was empty.

"I nicked the invisibility cloak from Dad," Al whispered. "James said it was only fair, because he had to steal the Map." He pulled something shimmery out from the inside of his robes and draped it over them.

"I love this cloak," Rose said happily as they began to move haphazardly down the hall. Rose yelped loudly all of a sudden, and Al clamped his hand over her mouth. "You hit me!"

"Shut up!" he hissed back, as they snuck into the dining room. Scorpius was sitting with his parents, chattering excitedly as he shoveled food into his mouth.

They tiptoed over to him. "Hey, Scorp," Rose hissed in his ear. He let out a startled yelp.

Draco and Astoria froze, staring at their son oddly. "Uh. . . I just – just choked on. . . on my water," Scorpius told them lamely. "You know, I think I lost my appetite. I'm just going to go. . ."

"Scorpius!" Astoria scolded as he tried to get up to quickly. "Honestly, what –"

"AHHH!" screamed Rose as Scorpius nearly fell on top of her, tripping over the leg of his chair as he tried to escape again.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "What was that?" he asked his son sternly.

"That was me," Scorpius said hastily. "I stepped on my own foot. I guess that water made me sound a little girlish, but it's not as if there's a girl around here anywhere, so obviously it was me. I mean, really, who else could it be, right? Do you see anyone else? Because I certainly don't. Only me." He laughed nervously.

"Oh, Merlin." Al smacked his forehead with his palm, shaking his head.

"Scorpius," Draco said calmly, looking as if he was fighting the urge to laugh, "would you like to tell us what's going on?"

"Er. . . no?" Scorpius tried, glancing at his father hopefully.

Draco narrowed his eyes, and Scorpius gingerly inched away. Al and Rose backed up hastily under the invisibility cloak. "Scorpius. . ." Draco warned.

"Oh, look!" Scorpius exclaimed, feigning surprise. "Is that a Welsh Green dragon?" And he tried to escape again, somehow managing to slam into Al, sending them both to the floor. The invisibility cloak flew off, and Rose jumped after it, managing to catch it and landing at Draco Malfoy's feet.

She gulped nervously. "Uh. . . hello." She waved at him. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Rose," Scorpius moaned, looking like he wanted to off himself. Rose didn't blame him.

"Rose?" Draco repeated incredulously. "As in Rose Weasley?" He eyed her bright red hair before turning to stare at Al, who was rubbing his side. "Tell me you aren't Potter's son."

"Um. Surprise?" Al asked awkwardly, running a hand through his hair and mirroring Rose's wave.

Draco closed his eyes. "Merlin." He slowly opened them again. "Would you like to tell me what you're doing here? And how you know my son? I'm assuming you're friends."

"We met ages ago and just wanted to wish him Merry Christmas."

"Oh, no, we've only met a few times before; this was an accident."

"I've never seen them before in my life."

They all spoke at the same time, turning to stare at each other afterwards. Astoria addressed her son, looking like she was suppressing laughter. "If you've never seen them before, how did you know Rose's name?"

"Scorp was just guessing," Rose said quickly.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "Scorp?"

"I meant. . . what's his name again?"

Al smacked his head again. And to think Rose was supposed to be a good liar. Then again, he wouldn't be able to think properly either, if Draco Malfoy was eyeing him like that. He decided to intervene. "Don't tell our parents." That was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

Draco looked like he wanted to laugh. "How did this happen?" he asked the ceiling. "Potter and Weasley's children, of all people!" He smirked.

"What is taking you so bloody long?" Teddy's voice demanded from the doorway. He froze when Astoria and Draco turned to look at him. "Oh. . . hello, Aunt Astoria. Uncle Draco."

"Teddy," Draco greeted, managing to look even more amused.

None of the children looked at each other. Finally, Al ventured, "Could we borrow Scorp for the night, Mr. Malfoy? Please? We've got to give him his present, and we've got something planned, but our parents don't know. . ."

Astoria looked at Teddy. "Well, it's not something that could get you in trouble, is it?"

"No," Teddy lied, managing not to look guilty. He'd had years of practice, after all.

"Well then," she conceded, "I don't see why not. Draco?" She looked at her husband pointedly, gesturing to Scorpius, who was looking happier than he'd been all evening – and that was saying something.

"Fine," Draco grumbled. "But if he comes back with a lot of ridiculous Gryffindor notions –"

"We're not even sorted yet," Rose pointed out.

"Please. Everyone knows you'll be in Gryffindor. All Weasleys and Potters are."

"Actually, my cousin Lucy's a Slytherin," Al interjected helpfully. "And she's proud of it, too."

Draco gaped, speechless. "Merlin," he repeated, looking back up at the ceiling. "Am I dreaming? Or am I going to have to take this boy to St. Mungo's, because there is no way he's related to me." He frowned at Scorpius, who looked sheepish.

"If he becomes a Gryffindor in three years," Draco told Teddy, ignoring the looks from his wife, "I'll kill _you._ Even if Aunt Andromeda would never speak to me again."

Teddy looked nervous. "We'll just be going then. . ." He herded Al, Rose, and Scorpius outside. "Merry Christmas!" he shouted, and with a loud _pop! _they vanished.

* * *

"First thing's first!" Teddy announced. He pointed his wand at the door to the bedroom, his brow furrowing. A moment later, he nodded with satisfaction.

"You can do wordless magic?" Scorpius demanded, wide-eyed.

Teddy grinned. "Yeah," he answered proudly. "Now, there's a reason all of us are so amazing at magic, and that James, Fred, Rowan, and Louis already know some spells. It's because we use the Pensieve to go through the adults' old lessons – every bit of magic they every learned, unorthodox or not, and we learn it even before we start Hogwarts."

The four newest members' mouths fell open in sync. "You're wondering how we do that, when they don't even have wands," Vic guessed. "Well, Molly and I devised a way to get around the trace. It's how Teddy's doing magic now. We all have wards around our homes, special ones that block even the trace, because our parents are so famous – there's a reason we don't have shrines on our doorsteps."

Rose looked at Molly with new respect. Rose had always thought Molly was a goody-two-shoe, just like her father. That was what the adults always said, anyway. "We _are_ Ravenclaws," Molly beamed. "Couldn't resist the challenge. Even if Vic did most of the work – I'm only a second year. We've got a secret room in Potter Manor; we'll show you when we everyone's gone to sleep."

"Now, you won't start learning magic today, but every single night, Teddy will take you guys out, sometimes accompanied by Vic, Molly, and Lucy, and we all meet every week. You'll get very good at sneaking out after a while," Dom told them gleefully.

"You've got an almost Slytherin appreciation for deception, Dom," Lucy teased, grinning. "Not very _noble_ of you."

Dom gave her an affronted look. "Anyway," Vic spoke over them. "That's the reason we're all so brilliant. Top of all of our years, and all that, in addition to our incredibleness on the Quidditch pitch – or at least, our enthusiasm for the sport. And you'll often find the teachers talking out how we're some of the most mature and talented young children they've seen since our parents' time."

"Now, first year or not, Lu's already managed to cut down on the amount of Slytherin children buying into all that pureblood nonsense," Teddy told them. "There are, however, some children and grandchildren of Death Eaters who want revenge. They take it out on us. This is why we're so proficient in DADA before we even start Hogwarts, even more so than the other subjects. It's children of the Death Eaters against children of the heroes."

Scorpius looked mildly uncomfortable, so Vic added kindly, "Not you, Scorp. You're father's fine, it's just your grandfather." She looked apologetic. "We're not judging you."

"Good," he stated firmly. "Because the Golden Trio? They're my idols! I mean, they _broke into Gringotts and escaped on a dragon!_ Mr. Potter killed a basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor when he was a second year! And he's the youngest Triwizard Champion ever! And, you know, he killed Voldemort!"

Teddy grinned. "Yeah. Harry's my idol, too," he admitted. "I just wish they'd stop assuming things about us. That's part of why we do this, see? We know each other for who we really are. Harry looks at me like I'm a young Remus – and I resent that. And Luce, your dad doesn't know you at all, although I imagine he'd be sorry for making assumptions if he did know how you feel."

"We're going to show you some of what we've managed to do at Hogwarts so far," Vic continued, nodding firmly. "Including our secret resistance against the pureblood mania Slytherins – Lu's crushing them, though. Most of the Slytherins just hate us for being Gryffindors, now. Or related to Gryffindors, I guess."

"You guys are going to think your schoolwork is a piece of cake when we're done. We're going to do great things. But you can never tell anyone – we'd go to Azkaban for some of this. Harry got in trouble for casting a Patronus in front of a Muggle once, and that was with a dementor attack. Imagine what they'd do to us."

"You know," Alice drawled, "considering your parents, you've broken a lot of laws."

The older kids flashed matching Cheshire grins at her. "But it works. We're going to leave behind our own legacy." Teddy glanced at them. "That's what we call ourselves and our little. . . projects, by the way. I came up with it."

"What?" Al asked, looking confused, and Molly beamed at him.

"Legacy."


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, please review, guys! I'd really appreciate it if you would take the time out to do so. Any sort of feedback at all is welcome. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Teddy Lupin, sorting

_"Teddy Lupin!" called Professor Longbottom. _

_Immediately, whispers broke out from the other students. "Is that –"_

_"Yeah, _Remus Lupin's _kid_ –"

_Teddy felt his currently bright red hair turn back into its natural brown as he tried to take the attention off of him. Of course, this only fuelled the whispers as he shuffled up to the stool. _

Hmm. . . _mused the hat thoughtfully. _I remember your parents well.

_Teddy felt a flash of irritation. They should have just called him 'Remus Tonks' and have been done with it. _

Interesting, _murmured the hat. _Plenty of ambition. _Teddy felt a flash of fear at the thought of being in Slytherin, of all houses, but then he straightened up. Whatever he got, he'd face it head on. _It'll be the best house at Hogwarts once it's got me in it,_ he thought cockily. _

Pride, courage. . . the first one could go either way, and the second one is definitely a Gryffindor trait. But we're the noble, self-sacrificing sort, aren't we? The hat sounded almost amused.

_Teddy wished the hat would get on with it. Being a hatstall would only increase the attention directed at him – although, at least it would be for something _he _did, not his parents. _

"_GRYFFINDOR!" bellowed the hat, startling him out of his thoughts, and Teddy slid off the stool with a sigh of relief. He passed by the Slytherin table, and he heard a nasty voice hiss, "Werewolf and a metamorphmagus – of course you're Gryffindor scum." Teddy turned his hair into a brilliant, unmistakable turquoise and marched determinedly ahead. As he took a seat at the Gryffindor table, a seventh year greeted him. _

_"Well done," he congratulated. "Gryffindor – following in your father's footsteps, eh? I imagine you'll be a prankster, too." _

_It was at that moment that Teddy resolved not to be anything of the sort. _

Teddy Lupin, second week of first year

_"Aw, is the filthy little werewolf child lost?" sneered the seventh year, looking down his nose at the first year. "You shouldn't be here, vermin. Why don't you run off and join your parents, where you belong."_

_Teddy Lupin stared defiantly back at the Slytherin, who was more than twice his size. "My father was Remus Lupin, a werewolf," he growled, loud enough for their audience to hear. "And my mother was a metamorphmagus. But they were both heroes – they died in the war, and my godfather, _Harry Potter_, told me that they were some of the bravest people he knew. What did _your _father do, Nott? He was a Death Eater – and look where he is now: in Azkaban." _

_There was silence for a few moments, and then the Gryffindors who had been passing by began to cheer. Slowly, the other houses joined in. _

_Nott's lip curled, but he backed away. _

_None of the students ever said a word against werewolves again. _

They were pulled out of the memory roughly, and Al, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice stared at each other, speechless. "That's good for now," Teddy told them. "You'll see more later. For now, you can start practicing magic with our wands."

By the end of the night, they were considerably closer and were experts at the _Wingardium Leviosa._

* * *

Two years later, the year before Rose, Al, Scorpius, and Alice were to go to Hogwarts, they were assembled again. They were incredibly skilled at magic, especially for children who hadn't even gotten their Hogwarts letters yet. They had also learned nearly all of the potions they'd be required to know for first year, could transfigure a match into a pin, could recite all the uses of the mandrake, or mandragora, from their parents' memories of second year, knew how to do summoning and shield charms, and had even brewed a Polyjuice Potion once.

Normally, none of this would be possible. For the devious offspring of war heroes such as their parents, however, it was achievable – although it had taken nights upon nights of relentless hard work.

They had just mastered shrinking charms, so they had shrunk the pensieve and transported it the Shrieking Shack (which was very difficult to accomplish, but they did have broomsticks and memories of the way to Hogwarts from Harry and Ron's car ride their in second year) and were now secretly meeting their cousins for another bout of memories.

"Shall we?" Teddy asked, and the four nodded eagerly.

Vic grinned. "_Allons-y._"

Teddy Lupin, sixth year

_Teddy strode down the corridors, heading towards the Great Hall for breakfast. His stomach was churning uncomfortably, and the thought of eating made him nauseous, but he turned on the charm and straightened his shoulders, entering the Hall confidently. As he passed the Ravenclaw table, a girl shouted at him, "Good luck at the game today, Teddy!" _

_He flashed her the charming grin he was known for and the girl collapsed into her friends as they giggled. Inwardly, Teddy was groaning at the mention of the game. That day was the final Slytherin-Gryffindor game that would win Gryffindor (or, Merlin forbid, Slytherin) the Quidditch Cup. _

_This in itself was not what made Teddy nervous. He was well accustomed to winning the Quidditch Cup – after all, he had won it every year since he'd joined the renowned Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Keeper in his second year. This _was_, however, his first year as Captain of said renowned team, and the thought of losing them the Cup for the first time in years (and to the Slytherins, no less) made him want to fling himself off the Astronomy Tower. _

_In fact, he'd rather go to Hogsmeade with sixth year Amelia Danforth, a girl who had been proclaiming her undying love for him since their third year. The girl fluttered her eyelashes at him and smiled sickeningly as he passed, which didn't help Teddy's nausea. _

_Teddy dropped himself into a seat in between Chasers Mason Daring (fitting for a Gryffindor – Teddy would have wondered if the Sorting Hat sorted him into their house solely for his last name if it weren't for the fact that his teammate was certifiably Gryffindor crazy) and Lydia Finnegan. _

_Immediately, the surrounding Gryffindors began loading food onto his plate. Teddy was the most popular boy in his year, and possibly in all of Hogwarts, so he was used to attention, but this was different. On this day, the entire team was treated like royalty. _

_"Teddy," a girl's voice said, and Teddy immediately relaxed. _

_"Hey, Vic," he breathed in a relieved voice, turning to find his pretty fourth year cousin grinning at him. _

_"Eat something, Teddy," she coaxed. "And listen to me. Do you see that idiot there?" She pointed to Slytherin Captain and rival Keeper, Tobias Flint. "He's nowhere near as good as you. The only reason Slytherin lost to Ravenclaw is because, I'll admit it, that Chaser Lizzie Montague has enough skill to make up for Flint's poor Keeping. And as for beating the Puffs, well – who can't? Let's face it; Hufflepuff never had a chance at the Cup."_

_Teddy groaned and buried his head in her shoulder, ignoring all pretense of confidence. The Ravenclaw patted his head kindly, ignoring the envious looks from the surrounding boys in her year (and girls in Teddy's). "You have been training every single day for _hours, _not to mention the fact that every one of you has natural talent. And you're a brilliant Keeper – _Oliver Wood _said so, and he plays professionally! And let's not forget that you're better than Uncle Ron, who had the song 'Weasley is Our King' written for him. And do you remember what a certain _Victor bloody Krum _told you about your flying? Besides, the moment you get to the pitch, you know your nerves are going to disappear, so eat something, walk out there, and afterwards we can have a brilliant Gryffindor party in the common room and get drunk as –"_

_"Vic!" Teddy warned sternly, shaking his head at her. He grinned. "Prefect, remember? I have to pretend you forced the firewhiskey down my throat. I had _no knowledge _of the party, never mind the fact that we do it every year." _

_Vic nodded approvingly, tossing her long, shimmering blond hair over her shoulder. Ten pairs of male eyes followed the movement in awe, and a Gryffindor Beater, Dennis Jordan, muttered, "Bloody Veelas." _

_Teddy slapped him over the head. "Mate! That's my cousin!" _

_Dennis grinned unapologetically. "Sorry, Lupin." _

_Teddy laughed, feeling a lot calmer, and when breakfast was over, the Gryffindor Quidditch team all got up together and walked coolly out of the Hall, not deigning to look at the lowly Slytherins. _

_Teddy saw a flash of blue, and his other Ravenclaw cousin, Molly Weasley, ran up to him. "Good luck!" she said breathlessly, and Teddy grinned at the third year. _

_Just before they left, Teddy saw his other two cousins, Dom and Lucy Weasley, arguing. As they neared, he heard: _

_"Ten galleons Slytherin wins." Clad in silver and green, Lucy smirked at Dom. _

_"Ten galleons on Gryffindor, then," Dom agreed confidently, patting her scarlet and gold striped tie. Teddy glared at his Slytherin cousin. _

_"Whatever happened to familial loyalty, Luce?" he demanded. _

_Lucy shrugged. "Dom can go through with that. I want to win the Cup this year, remember. You Gryffindors have had it far too long." _

_Dom scowled at her before the team could protest. "You're just jealous that you're a silver-tongued snake and your fellow snakes haven't got any talent." _

_Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, well, king of the jungle my arse! Let's see if you lions are so cocky when Slytherin whips you on the pitch today!" _

_Teddy shook his head at his second year cousins and led the team out. As they settled down, he took a deep breath for his pep talk. "Listen. Our Seeker, the lovely Miss Katherine James, has only lost us two games before – one of which she played blind in one eye after being hexed just before the game by a Slytherin, and the other of which she played with a broken arm and a raging fever. You're brilliant, Kat." _

_Kat blushed; Teddy rarely handed out praise like that. "And our Chasers," Teddy continued, "Mason Daring, Lydia Finnegan, and Christian Creevey have such an incredible chemistry that we demolished Ravenclaw 290-40 and crushed Hufflepuff 190-0." _

_"That may have just been your brilliant Keeping, Teddy!" Lydia smiled at him. _

_"Yeah!" Christian agreed enthusiastically. "You're not too shabby yourself, mate. Only Slytherin managed to get 110 points, and that's mainly because of that mad Lizzie Montague."_

_Teddy frowned at that thought, but turned to his Beaters next. "Dennis Jordan and Tess Coffey – the best, most dangerous Beaters at Hogwarts!" _

_"Apart from Slytherin's monsters," Tess pointed out glumly. _

_"Nah," Teddy denied, waving a hand at her. "They can't aim for their lives, and you two are good flyers. Especially with your input, Tess; thank Merlin you're Muggleborn or we never would have been able to develop those hardball drills." _

_"Softball," she corrected. _

_Teddy was mystified. "Why would anyone want to hit you with a _soft _ball? That wouldn't ever draw blood!"_

_Kat chose not to answer, so Teddy continued, "Anyway, you two are a mix of violent, talented, and slightly psychopathic. Beat your hearts out! Three rules, team: try to permanently maim – oh hey Professor, I was just telling them to play fair and not harm the Slytherin players; yes, I know we only have a few minutes left, thank you, Professor, goodbye – Lizzie Montague, and I'm talking to you; Jordan, Tess. Also, don't bother waiting for a good lead, Kat, catch the snitch as soon as you can. If you beat my godfather Harry's record, I'll get you that autograph you've been wanting. And lastly – Chasers, Tobias Flint is only Keeper because he's so wide, he can cover an entire hoop. He is a very slow flyer who favors his right. So throw fast and aim left. Got it?" _

_"Got it," they chorused. _

_Teddy nodded firmly. "Good. I just want you to know that in the event of our loss, I'll murder you all brutally. Now, I don't want to go to Azkaban, but I know we won't lose, so I feel no qualms about promising that. Just wanted to put that out there. Let's go." _

_"And now we have the Gryffindors, everyone!" commentated Sean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor, as they walked out onto the pitch. "Captain Lupin, Jordan, Coffey, James, Finnegan, Creevey, and Daring!" _

_There was a loud cheer from the Gryffindors, and Teddy leaned over to shake hands with Flint. He heard a loud crack from Flint's fingers, and when Teddy withdrew his hand and visibly wiped it on his robes in disgust, he saw dark bruises forming on his fingers. _

_"I want a nice, clean game!" Madam Hooch told them sternly. _

_Neither of the Captains made any promises. With a sharp blow of the whistle, the teams rose into the air, and the next fifteen minutes were a blur. _

_"This game is brutal, don't you hate those lying, cheating, pathetic Slytherin –" _

_"DO YOU NEED A DICTIONARY, THOMAS? I ASKED FOR IMPARTIALITY!"_

_"Fine, Professor. The Slytherins have already broken Creevey's arm, Finegan's nose, Jordan's left eye has swollen up, and the Gryffindor Seeker is being targeted by both bludgers, thanks to the Slytherin Beaters. Fancy flying there, a brilliant feint from James as she causes the Slytherin Beaters to crash into each other. OUCH! And Slytherin's Carney hits the ground after that nasty crash. _

_"Meanwhile, Montague is keeping Lupin busy, a spectacular save from Lupin, and Montague executes a neat spin to catch herself after that great throw – great, but not good enough, it seems. _

_"Gryffindor in possession of the quaffle; Daring passes to Finnegan, who passes to Daring, back to Finnegan, back to Daring – and he scores! 60-20 Gryffindor!" _

_Teddy sighed in relief, then shot to the left as Montague hurled the quaffle at the hoop again. Her fellow chasers were really slacking. _

_"Coffey catches Keeper Flint in the face with a bludger – oh, that had to hurt. Right hoop's left open, and Creevey scores! 70-20 Gryffindor. And look at that , ladies and gentlemen – the Gryffindor Seeker executes a spectacular Wronski feint, and the talentless Slytherin Seeker –"_

_"IMPARTIALITY, THOMAS!" _

_"Stating facts, Professor, stating facts – ah! Ouch! Professor, my hair! Sorry about that; Professor's a little uptight today. Must be –"_

_"THOMAS!"_

_"Anyway, Slytherin Seeker's lying on the ground, hope he's dead – kidding, Professor! Can't you take a joke? Oh, he moved; he's getting back on his broom. . . pity, that. And James catches the snitch! 210-20 Gryffindor. GRYFFINDOR WINS THE QUIDDITCH CUP!" _

_An hour later, as Teddy raised the House Cup above his head to loud cheers and raised a butterbeer in toast in the Gryffindor common room, he couldn't help but feel that it was one of the best moments of his life. _

_The bludger had permanently disfigured Flint's nose. _

Al, Rose, Alice, and Scorpius were jerked out of the memory, and they collapsed on the floor in laughter, back in Potter Manor.

"That – was – hilarious," gasped Scorpius, clutching his stomach.

Rose howled again, rolling from side to side in agony. "I love Quidditch!" Rose got out, tears streaming down her face.

"His face!" Albus cackled, clutching the hem of Scorpius's robes. "Did you see his face?"

"Unfortunately," Alice said wryly, and they burst into laughter again.

When they were finished, they stood up gingerly, the occasional giggle escaping their lips as they clutched one another for support. Finally, Vic nudged them forward, and they fell into the pensieve again.

Victoire Weasley, fifth year

_"He just wants to go out with me because I've got Veela blood!" Vic ranted, pacing the room angrily. She and Teddy met in the Room of Requirement once during the week and once every weekend after hours, to learn more from the pensieve, finish off homework, and enjoy each other's company like they used to, before they were sorted into different houses. _

_"I guess, though, that's why everyone wants to go out with me." She thought of the boys she'd dated – Davies, Jones, Finch-Fletchley, Carrick – they were all the same. "I'll never know, will I? Every date I go on, I'll have to wonder if they really care about me at all or if they just like me for my looks – or for who my family is: Fleur Delacour, formerly in the Triwizard Tournament with Harry Potter, who happens to be my uncle. Or Bill Weasley, famous Cursebreaker and brother of Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend and war hero." _

_Teddy caught her hand as she passed by and yanked her down to sit beside him. "Listen," he told her. "There is so much more to like about you than just your looks or our family. You're clever, funny, brave, talented, caring, and you once slapped McCormac. Who could ask for more? Someday, a guy will see all of that, and then there's no chance he won't adore you." _

_Vic stared at him, her breath catching. "But there already is," she said softly. _

_Instead of giving her his classic smile, Teddy turned bright red. "Er," he muttered intelligently, and Vic leaned forward and kissed him. _

"HOLD ON!" Rose shouted indignantly. "Why did we need to see that? It was so cheesy! What did you do, rehearse it?"

Teddy only grinned, while Vic narrowed her eyes at her cousin. "It was a defining moment for me," she snapped defensively. "Besides, it tells you a lot about my character."

"Yeah," Alice muttered. "Really brings out your sappiness. And here I thought you were all right!"

Scorpius looked slightly sick. "Al, mate, if I ever begin to even _look _like I'm thinking a sappy thought like that, I want you to beat me senseless until my sanity returns, understood?"

"I swear," Al affirmed, nodding solemnly. "You'll do the same for me?"

"Of course," Scorpius intoned, equally as solemn.

Sighing disgustedly, Vic grabbed them by the backs of their robes and shoved them back into the pensieve.

Victoire Weasley, fifth year.

_"Do you know what you want to be, Vic?" Toby Morris asked her as they waited for Headmistress McGonagall to call them in to discuss their future with her. "Probably a Ministry job, am I right? I'd guess Auror, like Teddy was, but you're the first Weasley ever to be in Ravenclaw. You weren't brave enough to make Gryffindor, were you?" _

_Vic straightened in her seat. She had plenty of bravery! And she was hoping to become a Cursebreaker at Gringotts, like her father. She'd always liked Ancient Runes. So what if she wasn't a Gryffindor? She'd show them! _

_Vic walked in, refusing to look back at Toby Morris. When she walked back out ten minutes later, she sported a stack of Cursebreaker pamphlets in her hand and a satisfied smile on her face. _

They were yanked out again. "That's enough for today," Teddy decided, shrinking the pensieve again. "You'll have to go soon if you want to get back in time."

"Excited for Hogwarts next year?" James asked them, grinning.

There were firm affirmations from all four. "It's great," Louis told them excitedly. "I've loved first year so far."

"And the professors all call us the Marauders' reincarnates," Fred added proudly.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," Lucy warned, only half-joking. She jabbed a finger at them. "At least one of you."

Scorpius exchanged a skeptical glance with Al. "I hope not," he murmured under his breath.

"I heard that," Lucy snapped as Dom snickered. "Next time, you'll watch _my _memories. Let's see what you think of my house _then._"

The quartet exchanged glances before looking away, all thinking the same thing. No matter what house they were in, they were going to take Hogwarts by storm.


	5. Chapter 5

**My computer randomly shut down just before I finished saving the first version of this chapter, so now I feel like everything is redundant because I've written it before. Is this how teachers feel teaching the same thing every hour? Ah, well. . . **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Lucy Weasley, sorting

_Lucy watched nervously as her cousin strolled confidently to the hat, perching on the stool with collected self-assurance. The hat hadn't been on her head for a second before it bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!" _

_"Lucy Weasley." Professor Longbottom's voice rang clearly through the residual applause from Dom's sorting, and Lucy considered running away briefly before tilting her chin up haughtily. Why should she be afraid? She'd be joining her cousin within moments. _

_"Another Weasley?" she heard a voice whisper. "How come she hasn't got red hair?" _

_Lucy flipped the thick, perfectly curling black mane she'd received from her mother and went to sit on the stool. So what if she didn't have red hair? Neither did Al or James – although she supposed they were technically Potters. But it was the same thing, really. _

Hmm, _murmured the hat. _You're an interesting one. Not a typical Weasley at all, though I see you've inherited your father's ambition.

Just put me in Gryffindor!_ Lucy snapped at it. _I don't _want _to be a hatstall. I'll set you on fire, _again, _if you don't, and something tells me you don't want a repeat of what happened the last time you were burned.

_The hat had the nerve to be amused. _As you grow older, I can only hope that you become one of those of your house who have learned that there is a difference between living as though you are playing a game of chess – which, really, even the most Gryffindor of your uncles, a Mr. Ronald Weasley, could tell you about; quite the brilliant strategist, that one – but yes, the difference between that and bullying. Others of the house seem to have mistaken one for the other, I'm afraid. . .

_Quit blathering! This is _me, _not my family members! _Lucy scowled. _Oh, no – what did you say? Don't you dare – I'll turn you into a pair of trousers for my baby cousin! I'll give you to my aunt's vicious cat! _

_With a chuckle, the hat declared, "SLYTHERIN!" _

_The hall was quiet. The staff looked stunned, Dom looked disappointed, Molly and Vic were shocked, and the Slytherins seemed not to know what to think. Lucy didn't budge from the stool. _

_"Well done, Luce!" Teddy called to her all of a sudden, and that was enough for Lucy to stand, set her shoulders, and force the tears away. With a grateful look at her cousin, Lucy took a seat at the Slytherin table._

_The Slytherins began to clap, but nobody spoke to her until Lizzie Montague, a third year sitting nearby, spoke. "Well, finally. It's about time we got a Weasley. You lot are infamous for Quidditch talent and winning the House Cup, and it's about time Slytherin did well." _

_That broke the tension, and a few of the older people slapped her high fives. Another first year, Will Raven, joined the table a moment later and immediately began talking to Lucy. _

_"I was supposed to be a Ravenclaw," he confessed to her. "My parents both were, and my last name is _Raven _of all things. Of course, I was supposed to be a lot of things I'm not. Like, you'd expect me to be raven-haired, but instead I got this." He ruffled his dark red shock, which looked like it might be brown until the light hit it. _

_"That's all right," Lucy told him ruefully. "I'm a Weasley. With black hair. In Slytherin." _

_He grinned at her. "Maybe we can switch hair. Or last names. I don't fancy myself with mid-back length black curls."_

_They snickered, and Lucy forgot about her disappointment until a nasty voice drawled, "You shouldn't be here." _

_Lucy exchanged a glance with Will and frowned at the offending boy, a burly looking sixth year. "Excuse me?" she asked coldly. She'd noticed that while most of the older kids had accepted her, a small group was looking disgusted. _

_He sneered at her. "Slytherin House doesn't accept blood traitors like you. The Weasleys may be pureblood, but –"_

_And that was when Lucy realized that her House needed to change. "Nobody cares," snapped Will from beside her. _

_"That's right," Lucy agreed, glaring at the boy while the surrounding first years watched fascinatedly. _

_"They're first years, and they've got better brains than you," said a Slytherin prefect, Camilla Dane. "Mind yourself, Goyle." _

_Goyle glared but fell silent, and the first years turned to Will and Lucy, impressed. "Wow," said a blonde girl. "That was brilliant. I'm Holly Charlotte." She grinned, her green eyes twinkling merrily. _

_"Lucy Weasley," Lucy introduced herself. _

_"Will Raven." _

_"I can't wait until we learn a few hexes," said another boy from beside Will. "That Goyle character looked like he could use a few. I'm Dylan Curtis." _

_Lucy considered telling them that she already knew a fair number of hexes, but decided against it, knowing that her cousins would disapprove. They could get into serious legal trouble if anyone knew. She decided instead to shock (and impress) them on the first day of class. _

_"So those are your cousins, then, Lucy?" Holly asked, gesturing towards Molly and Vic. _

_"Molly's a second year, Vic's a third year, Teddy's a fifth year, and Dom's a first year, like us," Lucy rattled off, pointed at them as she went. Molly and Vic caught her eyes and nodded, grinning._

_Will shook his head. "I'm an only child," he admitted. "You're family's huge!" _

_Lucy gave him a look. "Wait till you see the rest of them. This is nothing, believe me." _

_"I can't believe you're related to Teddy Lupin," Dylan told her, impressed. "My brother Nate's a fifth year, too, except he's a Ravenclaw, and he told me that Teddy's a Quidditch god. And apparently really popular, especially with –"_

_"Oi!" Lucy nudged him with her shoulder, frowning. "I know, I know."_

_Dylan shook his head emphatically. "No! Apparently he's top of his year, too, and Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor. Apparently he's got the brains to beat nearly every single Ravenclaw in class. It's mad."  
_

_Holly waved a hand. "Whatever," she said airily, winking at them. "You should know that Slytherins never compliment other people, mate." _

_Just as airily, Dylan replied, "Oh, I never said he was smarter than me. I was just saying I've heard good things."_

_"That's more like it!" Holly cheered. _

_Will and Lucy exchanged grins. A moment later, Holly cleared her throat, gesturing behind her. Lucy turned to find Dom standing there with her hands on her hips. Although she'd never admit it, Lucy was relieved to see that she didn't look mad or disgusted. It would be quite another story, she knew, when news of her house got back to the adults. _

_From Teddy's earlier encouragement, she already knew she had his support. Molly and Vic had nodded at her earlier, so she knew they were supportive, too. It was good to know she had her cousins behind her. _

_"We're not in the same house," Dom began, and Lucy interrupted before she could finish. _

_"Brilliant observation, Dom. How very Gryffindor of you. Ever considered a career in detecting?" She gave her a grin. _

_Dom grinned back. "One meal in Slytherin, and your already bashing the house you were so desperate to be in? 'Oh, Dom, do you suppose they'll kill us if we're like Vic and Molly and don't return home wearing scarlet and gold robes? Can you imagine not being sorted into Gryffindor? I think my father would be heartbroken to know that both of his daughters were Ravenclaws.'"_

_Lucy narrowed her eyes at her. "You know what this calls for, Dom."_

_Dom nodded. "A wager," she declared. _

_"Five galleons says Uncle Ron faints at the thought of having a Slytherin niece," Lucy said immediately, giving a shockingly Slytherinesque grin for someone who had, as her cousin so aptly put it, only spent a meal in the house. _

_Will, Holly, and Dylan looked on, highly entertained. "Five galleons says he writes to the Headmistress about a re-sort," Dom returned. _

_"What if he does both? It's probably bound to happen." _

_"Fine. Five galleons on the fact that he writes first, then faints."_

_"I say he's comatose for at least three days before he wakes up and writes to McGonagall," Lucy objected. _

_"Fine." _

_"D'you suppose Neville – I mean, Professor Longbottom has already written to them?"_

_"Of course." _

_"D'you suppose they'll send me a Howler?"_

_"Maybe."_

_"D'you suppose there's any chance I'll get out of this alive?" _

_An evil glint appeared in Dom's eye. _

_"Definitely not." _

_Lucy sighed. "I thought so. I want tulips at my funeral. Tell Uncle George I'm sorry I didn't send him a toilet seat." _

_"I'll include it in your eulogy." _

Lucy Weasley, first year

_Lucy's eyes narrowed as she saw Bulstrode's potion turn a nasty shade of brown. It was supposed to be a pale blue, like Lucy's own potion currently was. She exchanged a glance with Will, her partner, who shook his head in disgust at Bulstrode. The fellow first year had been antagonizing Lucy for not belonging in Slytherin the entire year, and Lucy thought she'd get what she deserved if the potion exploded in her face, as Lucy knew it would in the next few minutes. _

_However, only a year in Slytherin had made Lucy far more devious. "Take care of the potion," she whispered to Will, before slipping out of her seat and walking over the Bulstrode. The girl's partner was Jessica Greengrass, a girl who had always been kind to Lucy. _

_"I'll help fix it," Lucy told Jessica, who nodded gratefully. _

_Knowing that getting out of her seat had brought Professor Dewing's attention to her, Lucy gently tossed some perfectly crushed lacewing eyes into the potion. Immediately, it started to darken before fading to a pale blue. _

_"I don't need your help, blood traitor," snarled Bulstrode. _

_"Detention with me, tonight, Miss Bulstrode, for name calling," snapped Professor Dewing. "I'm ashamed of such behavior, and from my own house, too!" _

_She then turned to Lucy, who was aware that the eyes of every student in the room had turned on the scene. "Ten points to Miss Weasley for an excellent remedy of a horrible potion, and an additional five for helping an ungrateful person who is not her friend. Obviously, labels like the one Miss Bulstrode used say nothing about the brains of our students." _

_The Slytherins cheered at the addition of points, and at the end of class, many of their fellow first years clapped Lucy on the back with comments like "Fifteen points, nice!" and "Put her in her place, well done!" and "Brilliant, Weasley!" _

_Holly slapped her a high five and Will and Dylan came up on either side of her, each throwing an arm across her shoulders. "You make me proud!" Holly declared, mock-sniffling. _

_"You little Slytherin, you," Dylan teased, poking her in the stomach. Lucy allowed herself a smirk as Will grinned smugly. They all knew by now that to survive Slytherin, you had to understand the delicate balance of power. Slytherins really did live life like a chess game. They were cunning, manipulative, and very hard to deceive, and they were already starting to become known for it rather than the narrow-mindedness of what was now a minority in their house. _

_Slowly, Lucy (with the help of Will, Holly, and Dylan) was ensuring that people with views like Bulstrode's were being looked down upon by their fellow Housemates. _They_ were now the outcasts, and even those that still shared those views but had the typical Slytherin intellect were refusing to show that sort of behavior for fear of losing any and all respect and influence within their house. Slowly but surely, Lucy was stamping out the views that regarded Slytherins as evil and blood-purity crazed and replacing them with view of her house as cunning, ambitious (albeit ruthlessly so), and masterful at manipulation. _

_Slytherin House was still the sworn enemy of Gryffindor House, but now, they were acknowledged as one of the two greatest houses at Hogwarts. They were known to have admirable qualities, just as much as Gryffindor, although those of other houses didn't want to be them. (It wasn't as if Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were rushing to be Gryffindors, either; they had House pride, after all. They just saw the usefulness of having Gryffindor daring and chivalry and the ability to not let fear get in the way of their goals, just as they saw the usefulness of having Slytherin's ability to both detect lies and deceive perfectly and their ruthless ambition.)_

_Salazar would be proud. _

Rowan Wood, age eight

_They were being utterly silent, and Rowan would never have noticed if it weren't for the fact that she was already awake. She saw the silhouette of a boy, and then nothing. Rubbing her eyes, she was prepared to dismiss it when she caught a flash of red hair – Fred? He had inherited his father's pale skin and fiery hair, unlike his sister, who had skin the exact color of Aunt Angelina's coffee (she drank it with ridiculous amounts of creamer and sugar, until it looked like brownish milk) – and then white-gold hair flashing in the moonlight; Louis, perhaps? Then rumpled black hair – definitely James. _

_Lowering her lids so she appeared to be asleep, Rowan watched as they stood in the hallway, just in front of the door way, and three four pairs of eyes fell on her – one a deep brown, one pair hazel, one pair a deep blue, and the last pair brown again. _

_Then they all vanished. Rowan's eyes flew open to make sure she hadn't imagined it again, and she lay in bed, heart beating strangely fast. After several long minutes, she got out of bed and walked aimlessly through the Manor. _

_None of her sleepovers at Potter Manor had ever been as interesting as this. Maybe it was because Teddy was there that night. Rowan faintly caught the sound of low whispering and followed it into a hallway. The hallway was empty – at least at first. As she watched, it was as if a veil slipped off them and James, Fred, Louis, and Teddy appeared in front of her eyes! _

_Rowan gaped soundlessly. None of the four bothered to look her way. Instead, they opened a door and slipped inside. Rowan hurried forward, slipping on something. She managed to muffle her yell as she hit the ground on top of – was that a cloak? _

_Frowning, she felt the material, letting it run over her hand – and suddenly it disappeared. Rowan's jaw dropped. This couldn't be. . . where had the boys gotten an _invisibility cloak_?! Life just wasn't fair. _

_Slipping it on, Rowan entered the room. _

_What she saw stunned her. _

An hour later. . .

_"There. You've taken the vow. You can't tell anyone." Teddy sounded satisfied. _

_James peered at her, slightly worried. "Rowan? Are you all right? You look a bit pale. And you're quiet." _

_Rowan pursed her lips and nodded slowly. Then she began to smile. "I was just wondering when the next meeting was. You can't expect me not to come." _

_They blinked once. Twice. Exchanged glances. _

_Then, "Next weekend. Same time, same place. Don't be late." _

Rowan Wood, first year

_"Potter! Weasley! Weasley! Wood!" Professor Finley snapped. Rowan hid a grin as James, Fred, and Louis look up at the Defense professor with innocent expressions on their faces. Anyone who knew them wouldn't believe it. _

_"Why aren't your wands out? I wanted you to go through the wand motions of the disarming spell!" _

_"Of course, Professor," Louis drawled idly, grinning lazily up at her and winking. _

_Professor Finley's eyes narrowed. "Fine," she said, seeming to come to a decision. "Class, if you would, these four have a demonstration to make." She looked at them triumphantly, as if daring them to challenge her. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Wood believe that they can disarm me." _

_They stood and strolled causally to the front of the room. The identical unconcerned expressions of their faces seemed to perplex Professor Finley, but she gestured for James to step forward first, chalking it up to the mischief makers' eleven-year-old cockiness. "Potter, you first."_

_"Of course, Professor," James agreed graciously, bowing his head with the gallantry of Sir Galahad. The rest of the class watched eagerly. It was only two weeks into school, and they were already recognized as brilliant, but the poor professor obviously didn't know what she was getting into. Disarming at this stage? Impossible! Or so she thought. _

_Drawing his wand, James expertly called, "Expelliarmus!" _

_The Professor's eyes widened as her wand flew out of her hand. James caught it neatly out of the air and twirled his own, looking satisfied. "Here you are, Professor," he said politely, returning her wand with a rather debonair grin. _

_"Potter!" she called as he returned to his seat. _

_He arched an eyebrow at her. "How did you know the incantation? You were only supposed to be practicing wand movements." _

_James didn't hesitate. "I thought the wand movement was rather easy, and my father always said that the disarming spell was one of the most useful, so I read ahead out of curiosity." _

_Subtly diverting the Professor's attention from the statement itself to his father; lying smoothly and easily with that trademark charm. . . if James Potter wasn't so very Gryffindor, he'd definitely be in Slytherin. That went for the entire family, actually. They were all extremely intelligent; all ridiculously brave and chivalrous; all incredibly loyal – and all giftedly, cunningly, deceptively ambitious. _

_Professor Finley nearly smiled. Nearly. Instead, however, she turned to Fred. "If you would, Mr. Weasley?" _

_Fred gave an exaggerated bow. "Whatever the lady wishes," he acquiesced dramatically, bowing low. Straightening, he retrieved his wand with a flourish, and with an amused glint in his eyes, said, "Expelliarmus." _

_Again, Professor Finley relinquished her wand to the first year's waiting hand, and she couldn't help but feel slightly awed at the sheer brilliance of these wayward students. Troublemakers though they were, she couldn't deny their prodigious talent. _

_Waving Fred away, she nodded to Louis. "Mr. Weasley, another demonstration, if you please?" _

_"Certainly, Professor," Louis agreed suavely. He wasted no time. "Expelliarmus!" Catching the wand out of the air, he gave the shocked professor a nod before taking his seat behind James and Fred. _

_"Miss Wood." Professor Finley beckoned to her. _

_Rowan tilted her head, considering the woman in front of her. After a moment, she repeated, "Expelliarmus." The wand flew into her hand, and Rowan allowed herself a satisfied smirk, thankful once more that she was friends with such incredibly devious people. _

_Tossing her dark, dark brown hair, Rowan returned the wand to its rightful owner and dropped into her seat beside Louis, high-fiving James as she went. _

_"Five points to Gryffindor, each," Professor Finley awarded, "for an incredible display of magic." _

The four youngest kids landed smoothly on their feet as they were wrenched out of the pensieve, well accustomed to the sensation after having experienced it so many times.

"That's what you've got to look forward to," Rowan told them smugly.

"Have you ever considered hiding your talent?" Alice asked them. "So that when you carry out a particularly incredible prank or something, they can't suspect you because as far as they know, you aren't capable of such advanced magic."

"We _do _hide our full potential," Louis told them, frowning slightly. "They'd be suspicious if they knew that we can produce a Patronus, or perform a summoning spell."

"They'd discover our secret," Teddy agreed. "And we would be taken to trial. I'd never become an Auror, Vic would never become a Cursebreaker – I'd probably go to Azkaban, because I'm of age! _You'd _probably go to Azkaban, regardless of your age, because they underestimate us. They think we don't know how serious underage magic is; how badly we could hurt ourselves. But we've seen it all in the pensieve."

"I can't wait until Hogwarts," Scorpius breathed wistfully. "Having it as a secret just makes it all the more exciting. It's a good thing that vow we made keeps us from being physically able to tell people the secret, though; can you imagine slipping up?"

"Vow or not, you need to be careful," Lucy warned. "There are a lot of ways this information could be used against you. I can think of a hundred right now."

"You're a Slytherin," Alice muttered. "Of course you can."

Lucy gave her a smug look. "What is it that I've told you? The world is a chessboard and the people are pieces, and –"

"We are the players," Al, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice finished in unison.

Fred nodded approvingly. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes tonight's meeting. To Legacy!"


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter's pretty short, since I updated yesterday, but it's a Friday and I felt like writing, so. . . enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"I'M-GOING-TO-HOGWARTS-I'M-GOING-TO-HOGWARTS-I'M-GOING-TO-HOGWARTS!" Scorpius chanted, jumping up and down on his parents' bed.

"Scorpius!" Draco growled, sitting up. His platinum blond hair was sticking up in a dozen different directions, and his typical Black family grey eyes were dazed. The picture of Malfoy sophistication, he was not.

"But today's September 1st!" Scorpius informed his father excitedly. "Do you know what that means? It means I'M-GOING-TO –"

"Don't you dare," Draco growled threateningly, jabbing a finger at his son. Beside him, Astoria Malfoy sat up as well, looking cheerful. Early morning, late at night – it didn't matter when; Astoria was generally of a very calm, untroubled disposition.

"Mum, today's September 1st!" Scorpius told her, beaming. "And that means –"

"SCORPIUS HYPERION –"

"Fine! All right! I won't say it! Killjoy," Scorpius muttered under his breath. Then he brightened again, fairly bouncing with happiness. "I can't wait to go to Hogsmeade."

Draco eyed his son warily. "You don't get to go until your third."

"Of course I don't," Scorpius said breezily. He spun on his heel and exited the room, whistling a jaunty tune with his hands in his pockets. The memories from the pensieve had served to mature him a little, "a little" being the operative words, but he tried very hard not to show it. His lying skills had gotten monumentally better during the past three years, but that wasn't saying much, because previously he had no such skills to speak of. Now, they could only be considered dismal. He suspected it would take actually going to Hogwarts to transform him into the master of deception all the older cousins were.

He spent the next few hours wandering Malfoy Manor with barely contained impatience, happy at the thought of seeing Al, Rose, and Alice again. When they finally got to the platform, Scorpius was barely listening to his parents' words about school. Instead, he scanned the platform eagerly, looking for the telltale red hair.

He finally spotted Rose as the two families passed. He watched as Rose's father narrowed his eyes and leaned down to whisper something in Rose's ear. "Hmm," murmured his father thoughtfully. "I remember those two. Make sure to beat the girl in all your exams, Scorpius. If she's anything like her mother, she'll be an irritating know-it-all."

Astoria coughed at him, and Draco huffed. "Fine! She'll be intelligent."

"I already know that, Dad. You've met her before, remember?"

Draco frowned. "All too well. . . I suppose I should blame Aunt Andromeda for that – she never should have let your godson introduce you all at that party. . ."

Scorpius decided not to correct him. His father could find out just how close Scorpius was to the Weasley family when Scorpius was safely away at Hogwarts. "And the Potter boy will probably be a natural at Quidditch – but that's next year's business. Watch out for him in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration."

Astoria ignored Draco. "Enjoy yourself, Scorpius." She gave him a hug.

"I will," Scorpius promised, a wicked glint entering his eye. Draco didn't notice this.

"Well, I suppose I can't help that now – just don't get overly friendly with the Weasley girl. We'd have generations of Slytherins rolling over in their graves at that."

Scorpius paid no attention to this. "Bye, Mum! Bye, Dad!"

"Make sure you're sorted into Slytherin!" Draco called after him as he dragged his trunk towards the train.

"Draco!" Astoria scolded. She winked at Scorpius. "He's going to be a Ravenclaw!"

* * *

"If you'll follow me," said Professor Longbottom, who was apparently Hufflepuff's head of house.

"I heard we have to battle a dragon," said a boy, staring up at the castle.

"Don't be stupid! We have to recite the entire first chapter of _Hogwarts, a History._"

"Are you daft? We have to duel the Headmistress, and if we can stun her, we get sorted into Slytherin. All the losers are randomly put in the other houses, I suppose."

"And that's why you're not going to be a Ravenclaw," a girl told the previous boy. "Headed for Slytherin, huh? You're too stupid to be put anywhere good."

"Thank Merlin Lucy didn't hear that," Al whispered to Scorpius. They exchanged knowing smirks. _They _knew what was going to happen. The train ride had been a blast, and the four friends were immensely glad to finally be attending the famed school.

As they filed into a line in front of the hat, Alice muttered to Rose, "Hide me! If something goes wrong, my dad's going to be here to see it!"

"My dad told me he'll disinherit me if I'm not in Gryffindor," Rose offered. "So you've got it all right. Hey, do you think your dad will adopt me if that happens? I'd ask Scorpius, but I don't I got off to a great start with his dad."

"Won't the Potters take you in? You're family!"

Rose tilted her head thoughtfully. "Oh, yeah. . ."

As Alice moved forward, a new voice spoke in her ear. "You're related to the Potters? As in, Harry Potter?"

Rose turned to see who had spoken. It was a tall, dark skinned boy. "He's my uncle," Rose answered. The boy's eyes widened, and he poked her arm gingerly.

She snatched it away. "Stop looking at me like I'm a thestral!"

"Aren't those invisible?" the boy asked confusedly.

Rose rolled her eyes. _Merlin, I forgot how stupid these first years are, _she thought, conveniently forgetting that she was a first year herself. "Never mind."

"Alice Longbottom," Neville called, and Rose peered over the heads of her peers keenly as her friend shuffled towards her father.

After a moment, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

With a pleased expression, Alice slid off the stool and gave her father a grin before joining the Gryffindor table.

"Scorpius Malfoy."

Rose gave him a thumbs up when he glanced back at her. He grinned a little and sat on the stool, waiting for the hat to speak. No time passed before the hat declared, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Everyone gaped. A Malfoy, in _Gryffindor_? What was next? A Potter in Slytherin? When Neville called, "Albus Potter," hundreds of low murmurs erupted through the hall, having just died down from the previous sorting's commotion.

There was a long minute during which Albus appeared to be arguing with the hat before it pronounced him a "GRYFFINDOR!"

Finally, Professor Longbottom called, "Rose Weasley." Ignoring the whispers that started at the sound of her name, Rose went to sit on the stool.

_Another Weasley, I see, _said the hat, sounding thoughtful. _Very ambitious, quite like the rest of them. Remarkable brains, inherited that from your mother, hmm?_

_Don't you dare separate me from Al, Scorpius, and Alice! How could you even consider it? _Rose scolded the hat.

_Very well. You'll suit the house well, so if you're sure, better be – _"GRYFFINDOR!" There was wild applause as Rose, quite satisfied with herself, sprang off the stool and took her place beside Scorpius.

Later that night, they were all seated in the common room, writing to their families with news of the sorting. Glancing up from his letter, Scorpius joked, "Do you think I'll get a Howler?"

Al grinned. "Want to wager?" He remembered Lucy and Dom's wager from their first year.

Scorpius shook his head ruefully. "I hope my father reacts better than Mr. Weasley did, fainting like that. He didn't recover for a week! Anyhow, I reckon my mum will stop Dad from sending me a Howler."

He was quite right. He did not receive a Howler. What did occur was foretold by a certain dinner conversation from three years ago.

Several things happened when news of Scorpius's sorting reached his family's ears:

Lucius Malfoy rolled over in his grave.

Draco Malfoy turned very pale and screamed a name that did not belong to his son.

And Auror Trainee Teddy Lupin was afraid for his life.

* * *

It turned out that everyone survived with their health intact. Well, everyone except the four's professors, that is. While Teddy Lupin got off with an apology, Draco Malfoy survived after a conversation with his wife, and Lucius Malfoy resigned himself to the fact that there wasn't much a dead man could do about it, the professors were constantly wary of the first years' antics.

It was clear from day one that the children were brilliant. It was also clear that, much like the Marauders and the Weasley twins before them, the four Gryffindors were not very concerned with actual school work and were more interested in making life "interesting."

For example, on the first day: Four feathers were floating in the air, much to Professor Flitwick's disbelief. "Merlin's beard!" he gasped. He narrowed his eyes at Scorpius, Rose, Al, and Alice. He'd been seeing feats like this from the older kids of that lot, as well. Why was it that every Weasley, Potter, or close friend of theirs had to be ridiculously intelligent? How did that make sense? How was that fair?

He would never understand it. Grudgingly, he resigned himself to another loss of the House Cup for Ravenclaw as he awarded Gryffindor house twenty points.

On a Hogsmeade weekend: Headmistress McGonagall froze when she heard voices emanating from an empty classroom. That was never good. Frowning, she entered the classroom only to find the infamous Gryffindor quartet lounging lazily, sprawled across the desks and chairs and sipping butterbeers while engaging in pleasant conversation.

"Where did you get those?" McGonagall demanded, trying to hide her amusement. Just like their parents, they were.

"Minnie!" Scorpius cried in delight. "Can I call you Minnie?" Minerva was struck, suddenly, by the image of another Black, forty years ago, with the same cheerful, haughty air, greeting her affectionately with that nickname. Before she could answer, Scorpius continued, "Dominique Weasley brought it for us from the Three Broomsticks, of course. We're first years, didn't you know?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm well aware, Mr. Malfoy." Deciding to let them be, she turned around and walked back out the classroom door. As she left, she heard Alice Longbottom say, "Could we be any more idiotic? I bet she heard us speaking!"

And Rose Weasley answered, "Oh, right. _Muffliato._"

And then she heard no more. As Minerva left the corridor, she couldn't help but wonder how the girl had possibly managed that spell. Then, with faint amusement, she realized she probably didn't want to know.

As long as they weren't raising another dragon with Hagrid.


	7. Chapter 7

**First off, I'd like to thank Lady Cougar-Trombone for the reviews. I didn't know McGonagall had retired, so for my purposes, she'll still be at Hogwarts for now. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"_Traitor_," hissed the ringleader of the group, sneering at Scorpius. The silver and green serpent emblem on his robes caught the light, and Scorpius couldn't help but think it looked a lot more malicious than the one on Lucy's robes ever did.

Maybe he shouldn't have gone wandering down to the kitchens without Al, Rose, and Alice – but he was a Gryffindor. He wasn't about to be scared by four Slytherin bullies. "Do you mind?" Scorpius demanded, stepping forward.

It was his second night at Hogwarts. They had had their first classes earlier in the day, and Scorpius, Rose, Alice, and Al had already earned Gryffindor twenty points in Charms for levitating their feathers on the first try.

Unfortunately, they had charms with the Slytherins, and word of their success seemed to have reached the older students' ears. The boy's expression turned even nastier, and Scorpius didn't bother fighting an expression of disgust.

"Your father must be so ashamed," the boy snarled, and his cronies nodded emphatically. That was the most involvement they'd had in the entire conversation yet. "A Malfoy – in Gryffindor, of all houses! We figured since your father isn't here to punish you, we'd do it for him."

This elicited a chuckle from Minion 1 and Minion 2. Minion 3 only scowled and raised his wand threateningly. Scorpius wondered if he should tell him that his wand was pointing the wrong way. Before the ringleader could utter a single word, Minion 3 shouted, "Serpensortia!"

A snake shot out of the end of his wand and into his own mouth, and Minion 3 let out a cry, flailing madly. He clipped Minion 2 over the head with a beefy hand, promptly knocking him out. Scorpius used the distraction to yell, "_Petrificus totalus!" _

Minion 1 was put into a full body bind, and Scorpius turned his attention to the ringleader, who was looking at him in horror. "You – you're a first year!" he spluttered.

"And you're a Slytherin," Scorpius told him cheerfully. "Also, we're at Hogwarts. Any other brilliant observations?"

The boy only gaped. "You know," Scorpius said conversationally, "if any punishment is going to be happening tonight, I'd get on with it. Staring at me isn't going to do a thing. You're not a basilisk."

The boy continued gaping. Scorpius, who was now thoroughly enjoying himself, sighed dramatically. "Fine," he relented. "Levicorpus!" The boy went up in the air, hanging from his ankle.

Thanking James Potter the First and Sirius Black for their invaluable demonstrations of how to deal with irritating Slytherins, Scorpius folded his arms. "You need to apologize," he informed the boy.

"You'll get in trouble for this!" the Slytherin threatened, waving his arms. "Put me down! I'll have you expelled!"

"Oh, yes, I can see how that conversation would go. 'Excuse me, Headmistress, but I was sneaking around after hours doing who knows what with my minions when I ran into a little first year Gryffindor and decided to terrorize him. Although he's only had a day of education, the first year one of my friends into a full body bind and levitated me to demand an apology. Obviously, this first year is in dire need of expulsion.'"

The Slytherin only scowled. "You don't know who you're messing with, kid. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us."

Scorpius arched an eyebrow. "Do you know Lucy Weasley by any chance? Yes, she's a Slytherin prefect. How about Will Raven? He's the other Slytherin prefect. I happen to know them both – or at least, I know Lucy Weasley very well – I tend to think they'd side with me on this one. So excuse me if I'm not worried about having your entire house against me."

The Slytherin snorted. "I wasn't talking about those pansy prefects or any of their idiot followers. Some of our house is actually smart, you see. We haven't lost sight of what's right. And we're going to make you miserable."

There was only so much patience Scorpius could pretend to have. "I suppose I'll have to put you down now."

The Slytherin tried to give him a superior look, which didn't look very impressive upside-down. "Liberacorpus!" The boy dropped to the ground, landing on his head and crumpling to the ground unconscious. Scorpius snickered, dropping his cool, sarcastic act.

"Ha!" he yelled gleefully, pointing at the four Slytherins' prone bodies. He did a short victory dance, freezing when he heard an amused voice say, "Well done."

Scorpius spun around to find Lucy Weasley, James Potter, and Al, Rose and Alice standing in the shadows. "That was brilliant, Scorp!" Rose cried excitedly.

He grinned at her. "I was acting like you," he confessed. "Or possibly Alice."

"Well, you're good at it," Alice told him, raising her eyebrows. "Don't stop."

"Were you standing there the whole time?" he wondered.

"No," James answered. "We got here about halfway through – Al was checking the Map, and he saw you here with four Slytherins cornering you, so he ran and got us. We were going to help, but it didn't look like you needed it."

"Anyway, you need to come with us. We've got something to show you – all of you," Lucy said mysteriously. She gave them a smile that would have done Mona Lisa proud.

"What about the bodies?"

"Eh," Alice said dismissively. "Who cares about them? They'll get in trouble for being out after hours, but it's like you said - nobody will suspect a first year of being capable of that."

"What do you have to show us?" Al asked curiously as James led them away. "Is it another family secret?"

James grinned. "Yeah," he admitted, "but we only tell you once you get to Hogwarts. It doesn't concern anyone else. And this time, there are other people involved. Not a lot, but some – like Lucy's friends in Slytherin, Will Raven, Holly Charlotte, and Dylan Curtis. Also Rowan Wood, and now Alice Longbottom, I suppose."

"What about Vic and Molly's Ravenclaw friends?" Rose asked. "And our Gryffindor friends?"

"We only included Lucy's friends because the sneaky little Slytherins figured it out. Well, partly, anyway. All they know is that we meet up to practice academic things. They don't know about the pensieve, specifically. Also, they're a part of what we're about to show you."

Curiosity sufficiently piqued, the quartet fairly ran after James and Lucy. "Ah – here we are," he said finally. "The Room of Requirement."

"I thought that was destroyed by the fiendfyre." Rose glanced at her cousins, frowning.

"There was an Ashwinder (one of those serpent things created from the ashes of magical fire, you four; like in _The_ _Fountain of Fair Fortune_ ) when Teddy first got into the room, and the eggs kept trying to burn the place down, but the Room seems to be pretty much indestructible."

"How did Teddy get rid of the Ashwinder?" Rose asked.

"Engorgement charm," Lucy answered as James paced in front of the floor, muttering under his breath. "One well-placed _engorgio _and the Ashwinder will explode into a bunch of sparks and dust."

A door appeared in the wall, and James gestured grandly. "After you."

Fascinated, the quartet filed in. The Room was currently several rooms; a large common room with the colors of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin and a roaring fire with several armchairs and couches and such; a small library with tables to sit at; a stone room bereft of furniture save for a few practice dummies (oddly reminiscent of the room the adults had used for DA) and a room with shelves filled with vials, jars, packets, and dozens of other things that looked a bit like the potions room on three walls, and a cabinet with a countertop underneath it on the fourth. In the cabinet were a bunch of files, and on the counter were cauldrons of all sizes with various samples of potions.

"This is great!" Alice exclaimed, looking uncharacteristically excited.

Lucy arched her eyebrows. "Of course it is," she said. "We designed it ourselves. Well – Teddy and Vic started it, really, but we've added to it over the years. Speaking of – come to the commons; we've got loads to tell you."

They eagerly followed her to the common room, where Vic, Fred, Rowan, Louis, Will, Holly, Dylan, Dom, and Molly had already gotten comfortably, sprawled in the large chairs. Rose sat on one end of the couch, leaning against the arm, which Al was perched on with his arm thrown across the back of the couch. Alice rested her head against the other arm of the couch, sprawling across the rest of it. Scorpius threw himself down onto the soft carpet, sitting with his back against the side of the couch, one arm hooked around his knee, and his head leaning on Rose's side.

"I could stay here forever," Al murmured happily.

Scorpius shut his eyes in silent agreement as James began to speak. "We sneak out every two nights to come to this room," he began. "This place is perfect for homework or any sort of ou

"By which he means anything from a good prank to something illegal," Rowan clarified.

"Right." Fred nodded, continuing for James. "Now, our lovely Silver Quartet –"

"What?" Alice broke in.

"Silver Quartet," Louis clarified with a grin. "Like Golden Trio, except Slytherin, and a quartet. A bit like you four are the new Golden Quartet."

"You're joking," Al said incredulously. "Please tell me you aren't serious."

James grinned. "Of course he's not," he said promptly. "_I'm _Sirius."

Will arched his eyebrows at Lucy over Holly's curly blond head, and she grimaced. "James Sirius Potter, if you ever repeat that, I'll set the whole of Slytherin House against you. It wasn't funny the first time, and it isn't funny now. It wasn't even funny when Sirius Black said it."

James's grin got wider, and he raked a hand through his hair. Al would made a disgusted comment about this action, as it was something the original James Potter used to do, but he did it too. He couldn't help it; it was a habit – an unfortunate side effect of living with his brother.

"They're already against me. I'm a Gryffindor," James said dismissively, looking unaffected by Lucy's threat. His cousins continued the conversation as if he hadn't spoken.

"I knew we shouldn't have sh-told you that story," Fred amended hastily at Louis's warning glance towards the Lucy's friends. A narrowing of Will and Holly's eyes told him that they'd picked up on the mistake, but neither seemed to have thought anything of it.

"Back to the topic at hand," Vic interrupted. "The snakes –"

"The snakes?" Scorpius broke in this time, looking disgusted at the name.

"The Slytherins," Vic snapped. "We are _not _doing this again. Anyway, they've got a good handle on most of their house, but some of the Slytherins still stand by all that blood purity, Voldemort-was-great nonsense."

Scorpius winced almost imperceptibly, and feeling it against her body, Rose patted his shoulder comfortingly. "They've formed a small group, and they target us – pretty much all Gryffindors, but especially Muggleborns of all houses and younger kids that are more vulnerable. We stop that as much as we can."

Vic nodded at Lucy, who clapped Will on the shoulder. "You guys should go," she said apologetically.

"Potter family secrets," James explained.

"We'll see you later, Luce," Dylan said easily. The fact that they were Slytherins made it easier – they understood the desire to keep secrets. He was just glad that Lucy had trusted them with this much – that showed true friendship.

Although she needn't have told them the truth when they confronted her and chose to anyway, he still wondered if she would've eventually told them if they hadn't asked her. It had been in when James, Fred, Louis, and Rowan started school. _All_ Potters/Weasleys couldn't be born intellectually superior to the rest of the world, could they? And they had noticed Lucy sneaking out several times before, although they never could tell where she went. They asked her if she was sneaking off to practice academics, which she was. They never told anyone.

After the Slytherins left, Molly took up the explanation. "We use the Map to keep tabs on people at night, which is when most of these happen. When we see something suspicious like a group of Slytherins against some poor Hufflepuff first year, we call a few others or go alone to stop it, depending on what the situation calls for."

"It's modeled after the original DA form of communication," Louis explained, holding up a galleon.

"With a few of our own adjustments," Fred added, grinning impishly. "It's like a cross between the coins and the mirrors James Potter I and Sirius Black used to communicate. You trace this pattern –" He made a curving shape in the air. "-onto the coin and everything you say, they people you want to contact will hear. Basically the coin reads your intent, which takes blood magic, of course, so you'll have to bleed a little onto your coin to make it your own."

At the alarmed looks he received, he clarified hastily, "We're not asking for a _sectumsempra _or anything. Just a small cut would do it. We only a drop or two."

Lucy tossed four coins to them. "Do it now," she ordered, and they complied. When they were done, she grinned. "You've got your Legacy coins; you're part of our secret war. You can come here whenever you like; just think 'I need the Legacy meeting rooms' and the door will appear. In the library, there's a loose stone that can alternatively be a door. It shares the password to the Marauders Map. It holds a book filled with every single bit of information we learned from the pensieve, so if you ever need it, you know where to look. Meeting adjourned."

Yawning, she stretched and shut her eyes, not bothering to leave. Vic and Dom left for their own common rooms, but everyone else stayed as well. Molly picked up a guitar that had gone unnoticed in the corner and went to sit in the dueling room.

A moment later, Rose followed her. Her cousin had her eyes closed and was strumming gently. After a moment, she started singing softly. Rose didn't recognize the song, but her cousin's voice was beautiful.

She watched, wide-eyed, as quiet, bookish Molly started strumming harder and her words got more sarcastic, mocking the world for being blind, for seeing what they wanted to see of her. Her mouth fell open when her cousin sang in a drawling voice that the world could screw itself; she'd do whatever she wanted.

Molly ended the song with a wild laugh, turning to grin at Rose. "You can sing? I didn't know you played guitar!"

"I only play here," Molly admitted. "Nobody knows but you guys. When I was little, I wanted to be like Taylor Swift when I grew up – she's a Muggle country singer. I got a guitar for my eighth birthday, and I was terrible then, so Dad didn't like me playing. . . he said it was disturbing him with his ministry work. Teddy told me not to stop if I really like it, so here I am." She shrugged self-deprecatingly.

"Did you write that song yourself?"

"Nah," she laughed. "It's a Muggle song. But it fits really well, doesn't it? It's like they wrote it with Legacy in mind."

Rose nodded thoughtfully. "So nobody else knows?"

Molly shook her head. "Nope – it's part of the reason we're so close. We know each other really well; better than the adults could ever hope to. They don't even bother seeing things from our point of view. Bloody war heroes."

Rose's eyes widened again. Her cousin never used bad language. Ever. "Is this the only place you practice?"

Surprisingly, Molly blushed. "I guess you aren't the only people who knows. I was playing in the common room once – _once _– and someone caught me. This boy in my year – Sean Carter."

"Interesting," Dom called from the doorway, raising her eyebrows. She walked closer to them, pausing beside Rose. "What's this Sean Carter like?"

Molly hit her on the shoulder with a stack of sheet music. "Shut up," she grumbled, blushing harder. Her cheeks were a dark, violent red, and her ears had turned pink, but her hazel eyes were sparkling with laughter.

Dom grinned. "The Weasley blush," she sighed, shaking her head at Rose. "Can't escape it."

Rose's cousins actually blushed very prettily, unlike her father, who resembled a spherical radish when embarrassed or angry. She laughed anyway, throwing her head back as Molly whacked her several times over the head with her music, grinning the whole time.

When their laughter finally subsided and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, reveling in a closeness not many people were lucky to share, Rose couldn't help but think that maybe the fact that their family had set the bar far too high to leap over wasn't entirely a bad thing after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Alice was sprawled on the grass, Scorpius beside her, when her father was walking back from Hagrid's hut and spotted the two. It was a nice day out – surprisingly warm, for late September, with the sun shining and a light wind rustling the pages of the copy of _Quidditch Through The Ages _that the two were flipping through.

From far away, they probably looked like small black blobs with a shock of dark gold and brown, and maybe flecks of scarlet and gold from their robes. Somehow, Professor Longbottom recognized his daughter and walked up behind her, startling her with a casual greeting.

"Dad!" Alice yelped, slamming the book shut and staring at her father in alarm.

"Enjoying yourself?" her father asked, smiling at her.

"I was," she grumbled. Her dad only raised his eyebrows and turned to look at her companion curiously, obviously not recognizing him. Scorpius had a lot of his father's aristocratic features, but he had the rather defining features of the Black family as well, and the first things you noticed of him tended to be the wayward dark gold hair and Greengrass grey-blue eyes. It wasn't surprising that he wasn't immediately recognized, even if he did resemble his father – although his face was not nearly as pointy, in Alice's opinion.

"Who's your friend?" Dad asked, and Alice huffed at him, annoyed that he had interrupted her perusal of the greatest book ever written about the greatest sport ever played.

"Scorpius Malfoy, Professer," Scorpius answered with a grin. He was by no means stupid; he _knew _Professor Longbottom had been mercilessly bullied by his father when they were children and Draco Malfoy was still an immitigable git. And yet it still hurt a little to see the flash of dislike and disgust that crossed his teacher's face before vanishing behind a stiff smile.

Scorpius was suddenly glad that it was Alice's father they had run into and not Rose's, because he knew from memory that Ron Weasley was a lot more likely to verbalize his dislike of the Malfoy family than Neville Longbottom, who may not have possessed Harry Potter's willingness to forgive and forget, but was definitely capable of not letting his disgust for the Malfoys' bullying tendencies influence his treatment of a currently innocently child.

"Nice to meet you, Scorpius. I wasn't aware you and Alice were friends."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Did you want me to write up a list of all my friends and hand it to you for study? Besides, Scorpius is one of my best friends; you should've seen us together by now."

Her father chose to ignore this. "Shouldn't you be studying? I seem to recall assigning you Herbology homework, and Professor Finley was telling me about how you were supposed to master the vermillious charm and write an essay on its two more powerful variations and their application in dueling. Also, if I'm correct, you were supposed to look up the charm for producing green sparks from your wand, even if you can't perform it properly."

"The Herbology homework was simple," Scorpius answered. "We've already done it. As for the charms. . ." He produced his wand, and clearing his throat, intoned, "_Vermillious." _Red sparks erupted from the end of his wand. "_Verdillious._" A shower of green sparks followed. "I also know that the spell _periculum _can be used to produce red sparks, almost like fireworks, generally used as a signal for when one is in danger."

Alice nudged him. "You sound like a Ravenclaw."

He made a face. "Ugh. Don't even joke. Although I suppose it's better than Slytherin."

Professor Longbottom looked surprised at this and smiled a little. "I'm impressed," he admitted, smiling genuinely at Scorpius. "I'll see you two later."

When her father had left, Alice turned to him accusingly. "You haven't even started on the homework."

He shrugged. "Yeah, but I can do the spells, can't I?"

She shook her head. "If you weren't Legacy, you'd be failing our classes." Then she grinned. "Although, good job with my dad."

He gave a mock-bow. "Thank you."

"So do you suppose Rose and Al are finished with Professor Bones yet?" Alice sighed, shaking her head. "Let's go looking for them."

Scorpius deftly picked up his well-worn copy of _Quidditch Through The Ages _and they walked inside. Alice bumped into someone as they turned a corridor, and as Scorpius put out an arm to steady her, a lilting voice gasped, "Oh! That book is great! I myself have checked it out several times from the library."

It was a short girl dressed in Ravenclaw robes. She had a rather self-important air about her; a sort of arrogance that was entirely different from the Black family haughtiness or Alice's disdainful scorn at things she deemed beneath her.

Before either of them could utter a word, the girl prattled on, "I'm related to Dangerous Dai, you know? My family's a whole lot of Quidditch fanatics. There's only one person in my blood-related family who didn't choose a Quidditch-related career - I have an aunt who works with Portkeys. Anyway, I'm a Chaser for Ravenclaw this year – I was ever so surprised. I'm Cecily Pryce, by the way, but everyone calls me Cecy." She pronounced it sess-ee.

So she was Welsh. Well, that explained the pleasant lilt to her words, but it did not explain why she was talking to them as if they were friends. "I thought Dangerous Dai didn't have any children," Alice challenged.

Cecy shrugged, tossing her dark red waves. "Maybe, but he had a mother, and his mother had a sister, and that sister had a son that happened to be my great-grandfather. So, really, Dangerous Dai was my great-uncle. Or something of the sort, anyway. All this family stuff gets confusing, wouldn't you say?"

Scorpius snorted. "If only you knew." He shook his head, thinking of the myriad of relatives involved in the Weasley family.

"Funny I ran into you, anyway," Cecy said thoughtfully. "I'm James Potter's friend. I just left him talking to his little brother and cousin, and they were looking for you."

A little surprised that she had recognized them, Scorpius grabbed Alice by her robes and dragged her away. "Thanks!" he called back to Cecy, who waved and continued on her way.

"Strange, that one," Alice remarked, nodding back at the girl.

Scorpius shrugged. "I don't reckon we're in any position to judge," he said truthfully, and Alice grinned in acknowledgement. They ran into Molly Weasley on their way to the Transfiguration classroom, her wand drawn against three Slytherins.

There was a boy next to her, but he didn't seem to be helping very much. Molly put a full body-bind on one of the Slytherins, and she was dueling the second Slytherin, who seemed to be very good at it, when the third snuck up on her from behind.

Immediately, Scorpius shouted, "_Expelliarmus!" _

At the same time, Alice chanted, "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" The Slytherin's wand flew out of his hand, fell to the ground, and jerked up again to jab him in the eye as both spells hit at different times.

The Slytherin shrieked and fell to the ground, howling and clutching his eye. "Oops," Scorpius muttered, grinning widely. Alice looked torn between wincing and laughing hysterically. She settled for a quiet snicker.

Molly finished off her duel neatly, stunning the girl. Turning to her friend, she added, "_Finite incantatum." _Then she thanked Scorpius and Alice. "Well done, you two."

"Molly, that was brilliant!" the boy gasped the moment the spell wore off; Scorpius guessed that it was a silencing charm. The boy seemed to be in awe of Molly. "Where did you learn to duel like that?"

She shrugged. "I suppose it's in my blood. Don't worry about it, Sean; I wouldn't expect you to know how to do wordless magic yet."

He looked slightly ashamed. "Still – I feel bad." He turned his attention to the two first years. "Are these two some of your lot?"

"Scorpius Malfoy and Alice Longbottom," Molly introduced. "You two, this is Sean Carter. And yeah, they're in Gryffindor with Rose and Al. Inseparable, usually; where are my idiot cousins? They're not in trouble, are they?"

Alice shrugged. "Couldn't say," she answered. "Professor Bones asked to speak with them after Transfiguration this morning. It might have had something to do with the fact that Al and Scorpius –" she broke off hastily, glancing at Sean. "Never mind."

Al and Scorpius had transfigured the quills of Boris Morris and Miles Corney into leeches while they were busy taking notes. Of course, no mere first year was capable of that, but Al, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice couldn't contain snickers when the two Slytherins began shrieking like girls, so suspicious had natural fallen on them.

Professor Bones apparently knew that they got discounts on and usually tested never-before-seen Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products and suspected them of it. Scorpius and Alice had managed to escape because they weren't Weasleys or Potters, and while it had become clear to the teachers on the first day that they had been adopted into the family and that the four were inseparable, Professor Bones had made the mistake of giving them the benefit of the doubt when they hastily gave some excuse about having work to do in the library because they didn't understand "vendimilitude" charms. Mispronouncing first-year spells – very Slytherin, Scorpius knew, but could he help it? If he hadn't been related to Teddy Lupin, perhaps he could have gone through life with only his own thoroughly Gryffindor characteristics (which were oddly reminiscent of a certain Mr. Ronald Weasley) but alas, he _was _a part of that family, and they were a lot of nutters. There was no hope for him, really.

Molly got a knowing look in her eye. "Asking about those vendi-whatsits, yes?"

The first years gave her identical grins, and she laughed, leaning closer, uttering only one word: "Tonight." Then she pulled away, as if nothing had happened, and walked off, arm in arm with Sean Carter.

Exchanging glances, Scorpius and Alice ran into the Transfiguration classroom. "Professor!" Alice cried in alarm as Bones looked up, arching an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" she asked wryly.

Scorpius gave her a winning smile. "We were only wondering if you knew where Al and Rose went," he told her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "They went off with James – said something about going to the library to look for you."

"Thanks, Professor!" Scorpius said cheerfully, turning to leave.

"Mr. Malfoy!" called Bones, and he paused in the doorway, waiting. A slightly amused tone entered Bones's voice. "Tell Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Wood that the products they're supplying you with show remarkable talent with magic. Perhaps they could use those brains of theirs for purposes other than helping first years such as yourself and the younger Mr. Potter to antagonize the Slytherins."

Grinning, Scorpius left to find the others.

* * *

Al had the beginnings of a black eye when Scorpius and Alice found him. "Whoa," Scorpius said, impressed. "What happened to you?"

"Boris Morris," Al answered glumly.

Rose snickered. "It was brilliant!" she cried. "I think they went off to look for you next, Scorp; I think they figured out it was you. Seemed to think it was some great WWW product, though – just like Bones; five minutes of interrogating me and she figured out it was you who did it."

Scorpius gave her a look. "Thanks for having my back, there."

Rose shook her head. "I didn't say a word! I was all for pretending it was me, but before I could lay it on, she told me to give it up, because she saw the look on your face, and you seemed more satisfied than the time you earned Gryffindor fifty points in one class."

"Then why did she want you?" Alice demanded.

Rose shrugged. "She wanted to talk about that essay I handed in last week. The one on imps – apparently I shouldn't be so appreciative of their slapstick humor, and it's never a good idea to include the hypothetical results of setting a few imps on two Slytherins – for example, Boris Morris and Miles Corney, hypothetically – in your essays. She was under the impression that the experience may not have been hypothetical at all. Pranking Boris Morris and Miles Corney! As if!"

Alice shook her head indignantly. "It's as if she thinks we've got something against them!"

Scorpius thought back to how the whole thing had started. It had been on the first day of Transfiguration with the Slytherins, when Professor Bones was calling roll.

_"Boris Morris," called Professor Bones, and while the entire class – with exception of Boris's best friend, Miles Corney – found the name funny, Al and Scorpius in particular couldn't hold back uncommonly loud snickers. _

_They managed to control themselves when Rose, sitting beside Scorpius, jabbed him with her elbow, and Alice, seated beside Al, stamped on his foot. The damage, however was done; Boris Morris was glaring at them furiously, her hands clenched into fists. _

_After class was over, the four were walking to Defense when the confrontation occurred. "Boris Morris!" Al was repeating in amazement. "Her parents _really _must have hated her!"_

_"Finally, some justice," Scorpius agreed. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but her name is worse than either of ours." _

_"Still – did you see that look she was giving you?" Rose asked them. "She's going to have it in for you." _

_"Please," Alice said dismissively. "We can handle some Slytherin pansy. And anyway, she must be used to it." She laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "We weren't the only ones who found the humor in her name." _

_"Watch your mouth, Longbottom. Your surname isn't exactly music to our ears," snarled a boy's voice, and the four turned to find Miles Corney with his wand pointed at them, Boris Morris at his side. _

_Up close, they could see that Miles had an abnormally large nose, ears that stuck out rather unfortunately, eyes that were of different sizes, and front teeth that were the size of Scotland. Paired with his nasally voice, Miles was not a pleasant person to be around. _

_It must have been misfortune that brought the two friends together, Scorpius thought sympathetically. He opened his mouth to apologize, because he didn't like all the slurs people made on his surname or the hisses of "traitor" he got from some Slytherins, but Boris beat him to it. _

_"Shut your mouth, Malfoy. I don't care if her teacher father gives us detention, and I'm not afraid of your coward father. As for you two –" Boris sneered at Al and Rose. "Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, war heroes extraordinaire. You're just spoiled, rich little brats – all four of you! So stay away from us, or we'll be forced to show you how _real _witches and wizards handle things." _

_Alice's eyes flashed. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, drawing her wand. _

_Corney smirked. "It _means _that we're not going to hide behind our parents' bank accounts. We don't need generations of acquired pureblood wealth to handle all our troubles. Or in your case, Weasley, a fortune made because your daddy and mummy are war heroes, and your daddy makes a fortune every week on his Auror salary while your mum makes just as much in Magical Law Enforcement for the ministry, defending filthy little werewolves and such in trouble with the law." _

_Scorpius frowned. If anything, it should have been _them _saying that. After all, they weren't the pureblood mania Slytherin elitists in the situation. Sure, they all came from long lines of pureblood families, and sure, they were all pretty much filthy rich, but that had nothing to do with anything. And if the two Slytherins in front of them knew just how capable they were with their wands. . . _

_Seeing the looks of pure rage on the four Gryffindors' faces, Boris and Corney made their escape. "Run away!" Scorpius raged. "Cowards." _

_They had made a grave mistake. You didn't challenge a Gryffindor's courage and simply walk away. No, Boris and Corney had made enemies of the wrong people. By insulting them, they had made enemies of all of Legacy. They should have known that the various cousins and adopted cousins would rain their wrath down on them for the insults. _

_And if it came to it, they'd have all of Gryffindor House against them. _

"They're Riddlers," Al said, jolting Scorpius out of the memory. Children of the followers of Tom Riddle, or random Slytherins opposed to Lucy Weasley and her gang's leadership and shunning of old elitist principles.

"Of course they are," Rose sighed, rolling her eyes. That was entirely all right. The four of them were already enemies of Boris and Corney, Riddlers or not. The two Slytherins could have whatever disgusting views they wished, because no matter what, this was a rivalry to go down with the greatest:

Snape and the Marauders; Draco Malfoy and the Golden Trio.

Boris and Corney may be Riddlers, but _they _were Legacy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, so this chapter is really very long - the longest I've written yet. While it doesn't continue the beginnings of conflict from the previous chapter, it does involve a lot. It's light in some places, as well as rather heavy in others, and involves both a lot of banter and some further insight into several characters, especially Victoire. As always, I appreciate any reviews. It _is_ my first fanfiction, so I'd like to know how I'm doing. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"No school, no Binns killing any joy in the world, all the presents in the world. . . life is good, mates," Scorpius declared as he sprawled across the seat, putting his arm behind his head.

Al glanced at him in amusement, mirroring his posture on the seat opposite him in their compartment. "At least _someone _has Christmas spirit." He glanced at Alice, who was staring moodily out the window.

Her father had informed her that they were to be spending the holiday in France, meaning that Alice was going to miss the initiation of Lily, Hugo, Morgan, Roxanne, Lorcan, and Lysander into Legacy. That was, unless her first year brain managed to bypass the wards her ex-Auror father put on their villa.

"Shut up," she snapped, glaring sullenly. "You're not the one who's going to miss the only Legacy initiation you'd ever get the chance to attend."

"I'm sure Teddy can come up with something," Rose assured her, absently popping a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean in her mouth. "Ugh – liver."

"Yes, I'm sure Teddy Lupin, Auror _trainee_, can compete with my dad, who just so happens to be Neville Longbottom," Alice sulked.

"Hey," Rose said easily, "Teddy has all the Dark Arts knowledge that the pensieve contained, which is a lot of war experience, even if he doesn't actually know what it's like to live in fear of dying every day. He could probably come up with something."

"Besides," Al reasoned, "I doubt he'll have wards keeping you from leaving. All the words will be focused on keeping people out."

"And when I want to go back in?" Alice challenged.

"Tell him you went for a walk," Scorpius put in helpfully. "Or you could always tell him you fell out the window."

Alice gave him a look, and he shrugged. "What? It happened to me once."

Al and Rose turned to him incredulously, but Scorpius appeared not to notice. "And even if you do miss it, I'll make sure to show you the memories later," Rose promised. "Cheer up, Alice. Here, have a bean."

Alice took the proffered bean and chewed it thoughtfully. "I got marshmallow!" she said a moment later, smiling slightly.

Rose's mouth dropped open in outrage. "What?! So far, _I've _gotten dirt, earthworm, rotten egg, burnt chicken, blue cheese – I _hate _cheese – grass, cherry tomato, ink, bubotuber pus, and liver!"

Scorpius snickered, and Rose shot him a glare. "I bet I've already eaten all the bad ones," she said thoughtfully. "That must be it." Choosing a clear blue colored one, she eyed it distrustfully. "This looks like it could be some sort of sherbet. . . maybe daiquiri ice. I had ice-cream that flavor once. It was delicious."

She glanced up at them. "Should I eat it?"

Scorpius laughed. "Where's your Gryffindor courage?"

That convinced her. Taking a deep breath, Rose donned the sort of expression appropriate for one marching into battle and tossed the bean into her mouth. After a moment, she turned slightly green and choked, coughing weakly.

"I'm guessing it wasn't daiquiri ice?" Al asked mildly.

Rose gave him a dirty look as Scorpius thumped her enthusiastically on the back. "It was soap - ouch!" She turned the glare on Scorpius, who smiled innocently.

"So sorry," he said, "did that hurt?"

"You're impossible," Rose huffed, crossing her arms. Alice looked quite a bit more cheerful now.

"And to think I thought we all matured," Alice mused, grinning. "All that 'Hogwarts changes us' stuff. You were right, Al; we're definitely acting older."

"I never said older," he said defensively. "I said different. All those nasty encounters with the Slytherins –"

"- being top of our year in class –" Rose chimed in.

"- learning how to be sneakier –"

"- antagonizing Boris Morris and that git Corney –"

" – yeah," sighed Al. "We've had a good year."

"You're going home for Christmas break, not leaving for the summer," a new voice broke in, sounding amused.

Rose grinned up at her older cousin. "James!"

James ruffled his brother's hair, ignoring the look of extreme annoyance on Al's face. "Hey, Scorpius. Alice." He punched Scorpius in the shoulder and nodded at Alice.

"Good to see you again," said a petite girl with dark red hair and a lilting accent.

"Cecy!" Scorpius grinned at her. "Who's that?" He pointed to the girl on James's other side.

"That's my twin sister, Delyth," Cecy answered, and the girl waved, her sea-green eyes sparkling. "She's a Gryffindor." The sisters would have been identical if it weren't for the fact that Delyth's hair was a very dark shade of brown. She had the same features; had the same slender body structure; even had the same pretty waves – only the color differed.

"She's also my fellow Chaser," James told them proudly. "We demolished Hufflepuff in our first game; Dom and Kat were bloody proud. Pity Kat's graduating this year; we'll need a new Seeker. Perfect timing for you, Al, really."

"They're not going to want more second years on the team," Al objected.

"Well, you can't fly your way around a hoop, but if there were an incredibly talented Seeker, I'm sure they wouldn't mind. We're going to have three openings next year; our Beater, Dennis Jordan, is graduating with the Cap'n, and so is our third Chaser, Christian Creevey. So those are spots for Scorpius and Rose. Sorry, Alice, maybe in a couple years."

Alice, a Beater, looked sorely disappointed. "It'll be you and me competing for the spot next year, mate," she told Scorpius, who grinned at her, raising his eyebrows challengingly.

"Kat had seniority over Dom, right? How come Dom was made captain last year?" Alice asked.

"Kat gave up the position to her – her dad died the summer before last year, and she was a mess. She still played Quidditch, but didn't want the captaincy, so Dom got it instead. Dennis Jordan and Dom have played on the team for the same number of years, so I guess it was a tossup between them and Christian Creevey."

"I remember Lucy and Dom didn't speak to each other for weeks last year when Gryffindor beat out Slytherin for the Cup in the final match," Rose remembered fondly. "Last year, they both started their first year of captaincy. Slytherin's going to be hard to beat this year."

"We've got a strange team this year, too," Delyth added. "Three seventh years, three second years, and a fifth year Captain."

"We're here," Alice said suddenly, turning away from the window. "We're pulling into King's Cross Station."

James grinned wickedly. "What do you think the parents will say when they see Scorpius walking out with us, chatting amiably?"

"Amiably," Al muttered, looking vindictive. "Didn't know you were capable of such diction, dear brother."

"Oi! Only I get to call you 'dear brother,'" James scolded. Then he ruffled Al's hair. "How quickly they learn! My baby brother's growing up."

Al shoved him. "Piss off, James."

James laughed and left the compartment, Delyth and Cecy following. Al shook his head. "What did I ever do to deserve him?" he asked fondly.

Scorpius frowned at him. "I'd give anything for a brother, mate. It's no fun being an only child."

"We've already adopted you. Why don't you just come live with us?" Al asked.

"Or I could give you Hugo," Rose offered, tugging off her robes and shoving them into her trunk. She frowned down at her Muggle clothes. "He's obnoxious. I don't want him."

Alice ducked as Al's elbow swung towards her face; he was standing on his chair to get at his trunk. "It's true," she told Scorpius from behind Rose's back. "I'm an only child and I'll tell you this much; spend a week or two with this lot and you'll go mental."

Scorpius frowned. "They're not that bad."

"I'm not talking about just the cousins." Alice shook her head. "Mate, you've not seen chaos until you've met the adults of that family. Combined with the cousins and family friends, it's absolutely mental!"

Al's trunk fell as he crumpled to the ground, and with reflexes borne of innumerable impromptu duels and ambushes courtesy of the Slytherins, all four whipped out their wands and chorused, "_Wingardium Leviosa!" _

The trunk hovered in the air before it was gently set down, and the quartet exchanged grins for a moment before they heard Dom's voice shout, "Your four, get your arses out here! What are you doing, hatching dragons?!"

Grinning at Dom's subtlety, Scorpius made for the door just as Al shoved his trunk out. The trunk shuddered and snapped open, hitting Scorpius in the back of the head. "Ah!" he yelped, rubbing his head while glaring at the trunk as if it had committed a heinous crime. "Is that thing cursed?"

Al frowned. "I don't think so. . . the only think that – DUCK!"

The all hit the ground as the trunk emitted several red sparks, following by a few spectacular bangs, and green letters burst out, spelling the words _sure you're in the right house, little brother?_

"James," Al growled. "I'll get him for this."

Rose sighed. "Oh, no." She looked at Scorpius. "They've just started the Weasley family prank competition. Every year at Christmas, we get points for spectacular pranks, and whoever wins get rewarded by our Uncle George. It's great fun, but it's also more dangerous than the Triwizard Tournament."

Scorpius, who had seen what their family was capable of, did not doubt this. Warily, he made a dash for the door, escaping relatively unscathed. Scowling, Al dragged his trunk after his friend, wincing every time it emitted more sparks. Rose and Alice followed at a wary distance.

When they got off the train, Dom looked at the sparking trunk with her eyebrows arched. "James?" she asked Rose.

Rose nodded. "James," she confirmed.

"I think I've got a bump on my head," Scorpius complained, falling into step between Rose and Dom. "If Al doesn't find a way to fix it, I'm going to smash that thing to bits."

"If it's any consolation, Al appears to be suffering just as much from it," Dom told him, eyeing her cousin, who was currently dodging gold sparks as they tried to set fire to him.

Scorpius eyed his best mate darkly. "Oh, he'll suffer even more if I have anything to do with it."

Overhearing this last comment, Al protested, "Don't kill the messenger!"

"He's right," Scorpius conceded, before shouting, "James Potter, I'm going to murder you in your sleep!"

"To be fair," Louis called back, grinning, "Fred and I helped. So unless you want to take your chances with the three of us. . ."

"He won't be," Al argued, glaring. None of the cousins noticed the parents behind them, watching in bewilderment – and this included the red-faced Ron Weasley, shocked Harry Potter, and horrified Draco Malfoy, who was sure when Scorpius realized how irritating Al Potter and Rose Weasley were would have ditched them immediately for better friends.

"Rose?" Fred asked, looking to his cousin. "You're on our side, right?"

"Sorry," Rose replied with a grin, ignoring the betrayed look on Fred's face. "These are my best mates you're threatening. You know how it goes." She threw one arm around Scorpius's shoulders and the other around Al's.

"WHAT," shouted Ron Weasley, before their easy banter could progress into a full-blown argument, "THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE! THAT IS A _MALFOY!_ A SLYTHERIN!"

At this, Lucy gave him a withering look, and Ron added hastily, "No offense, Luce, darling."

"I'm not in Slytherin," Scorpius informed Mr. Weasley, quite unfazed by his temper. Most children would be quaking in their shoes at the sight of the renowned war hero looking as if he might kill them. But Scorpius was a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors did not quake.

Also, the four had been in trouble with McGonagall so many times that adults had ceased to frighten them.

"I'm a Gryffindor," Scorpius continued. "Really. So please don't insult me ever again by saying –"

Lucy's wand was on him in an instant, and Draco Malfoy was looking incensed. "Finish that sentence, son, and I'll disown you."

Scorpius grinned. "Oh, hello, Dad!"

"Dad, he's my best mate," Al told his father, and Harry Potter's eyebrows rose ever so slightly.

Ron, however, was grinning broadly. "He's a Gryffindor," he murmured gleefully, looking at his wife and his best mate. "Ha! Malfoy's only son, a Gryffindor."

"Where is the justice?" Draco muttered under his breath. "Look, Weasel, I'm sure –"

In an instant, all of Legacy had their wands pointed at him. "Don't you dare," Lucy warned him. "Look, I'm as Slytherin as they come, so you can go ahead and insult those Gryffindor pansies as much as you want. All of it's true, anyway. But you do not get insult my family, or I swear I'll transfigure you into a small woodland animal – a ferret, perhaps."

There was a loud choking noise, as if someone was hiding a snicker, and they saw with some surprise that it was Hermione. Draco narrowed his eyes at them. The adults found this statement to be particularly hilarious, although they knew the children probably didn't have any idea why.

"What are you, a fifth year? I'm terrified," Draco retorted flatly, giving Lucy a chilling look. Lucy didn't flinch. That look was taught to all Slytherins in their first year.

It was at this moment that Teddy Lupin chose to walk in. "Oh, look!" He said in delight. "Uncle Draco! Aunt Astoria! Hello, Scorpius. Hi, Harry. Ginny. James, Al. Lily, darling! Vic. Everyone."

Taking advantage of the distraction, Lily Potter flung herself at her eldest brother. "James!" James's expression softened, and he ruffled her hair, returning the hug tightly. Lily beamed and jumped into Al's arms, throwing her arms around his neck. "Al!"

"Hey, Lils," Al said gently, looking at her fondly.

Hugo eyed his sister. "So," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Rose arched an eyebrow. "So," she echoed. They stared at each other for a moment, before Rose's mouth tugged up into half a grin. "Has Mum scolded Dad for doing something stupid yet today?"

Hugo's face broke into a grin. "Only about twenty times."

Rose nodded. "Good. Haven't met the quota yet."

Hugo's grin grew. "Are you planning anything that might get you in trouble?"

Rose stepped closer to him, nodding proudly. "You know it."

Hugo took a step back. "Rose! Not in public. I can't have anyone I know seeing me closer to you than I have to be."

Rose's eyebrows arched. "Oh, please. I'd be doing you a favor. Who would believe that I would bother with _you_?"

Hugo didn't deign to answer. Instead, he turned away imperiously, and Rose grinned slightly to herself. Scorpius was watching her from her side. "You really are lucky, you know," he told her.

Rose frowned at him. "No idea what you're talking about."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Deny it all you want. You know you love your brother."

Rose looked scandalized. "What brother? Do you mean that _thing_? We are not related! I deny it on all counts! What an accusation! That's insulting! We got _him _from a Muggle zoo. He's a monkey in disguise. Can't you tell?"

As he gave her an amused look and they started chatting animatedly about the time they were charming monkeys to sing in Charms and Rose and Scorpius had "accidentally" turned Boris Morris into a monkey with a couple stray spells (But Professor, I don't even know _how _to do that! Believe me, I wish I did. . .), neither of them noticed Hermione Weasley and Astoria Malfoy exchange knowing smiles, and neither of them noticed George and Bill Weasley exchange money from the other side of the crowd.

"Dad!" Rose suddenly shouted loudly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Could we have Scorpius over for Christmas dinner?"

As Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy began spluttering and Rose Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy, and Al Potter started snickering maniacally, none of them noticed Harry Potter observing the obvious closeness between the first years and hand over some money to Bill and George with a resigned sigh.

* * *

"Teddy!" Rose yelled, flinging herself forward and jumping into his arms. He caught her with a grin, spinning her around once before setting her down and turning to Al and Scorpius to ruffle their hair.

"Can we hurry up?" Roxanne demanded impatiently, bouncing up and down. Lily was watching from beside James, her eyes narrowed.

"We've got to wait for Vic and Molly to come back with Morgan, Lorcan, and Xander." As if on cue, Victoire Apparated with Lorcan in one hand and Lysander in the other.

"– Merlin, Xander, you're looking green!" Morgan Wood exclaimed, having just Apparated in with Molly. Lysander was making a horrible face while his twin watched with half amusement at his predicament and half smugness at managing to keep his nausea at bay.

"Oh, no," Rose hissed under her breath to Alice, who had snuck away from her villa in France with Teddy's help. "Morris and Carney are going to have a field day with the twins, aren't they? 'Xander Scamander.' Bloody hell, can you imagine?"

"Boris hardly has any room to judge," Scorpius snorted, leaning against the wall. "Besides, younger or not, they're Legacy. They'll be fine."

"What's Legacy?" Hugo demanded suspiciously. His eyes turned large. "Oh, Merlin, is this in case we die? You're going to make us do something dangerous, aren't you?"

"What – well, you caught us. You might get eaten by a dragon, but only if you're too slow!" Rose laughed. "After all, I'm sure you won't lose all your memory in that curse room." At Hugo's horrified look and Molly's arched eyebrows (she was hiding a smile, Rose knew it!), Rose grudgingly added, "No. Believe me, you won't have to worry about leaving behind a legacy tonight."

Hugo gave her a betrayed look before grinning broadly. "Good. So I can tell Mum you swore, right?"

Immediately, the older kids all began to protest, while Rose, Alice, Scorpius, and Al took great satisfaction at being the ones in the know for once. "You never," Teddy told the initiates sternly, "_ever _side with the adults against one of us."

"Or we'll have to disinherit you," Fred added solemnly.

"Possibly kill you," James agreed.

Lily folded her arms and glared at her older brother. As much as she still adored her brothers, she had learned by the age of seven not to trust them completely when they said things like that.

"All right then," Teddy said cheerfully. "Follow me!" The large group of cousins that had insisted on assembling for their last initiation marched through Potter Manor. When they arrived at the forbidden door, Teddy paused dramatically, surveying his family with a sense of nostalgia. This was where everything had started. He envied the younger kids, because they still had their entire Hogwarts lives ahead of them, and Hogwarts was a place where magic of all kinds had been occurring for generations. Those years were probably the best years of any witch or wizard's life – even for their parents, who had been living through a war at that time. Probably especially their parents, including his father – the sort of friendship between the Marauders wasn't common. Their family was incredibly lucky, to have that closeness occur several times – within the Golden Trio, within legacy and even the smaller groups inside of Legacy: the so-called Silver Quartet and Golden Quartet, etc.

The others seemed to be having similar thoughts of their own, because none of them urged him to open the door. At least not until Hugo piped up, "Are you waiting for a sign from above? Open it!"

Exhaling slowly, Teddy pushed open the door.

* * *

"Merlin," Lily whispered in horror, staring at the ground.

Lorcan didn't believe it. "Is this some sort of joke?" he snapped at the older kids. But he knew it wasn't – there would be hidden smiles, or at least some sort of lightness about them – not this heavy solemnity palpable in the air; the heavy, seen-too-much looks in their eyes; the fierce, united-we-stand manner evident in their stances.

"Our Mum," Xander said incredulously. "I can't believe she fought like that – she broke into the _Ministry_. She always seemed so . . . innocent."

"Our parents," Hugo muttered, looking up at his sister desperately. "How are we supposed to compete with that?"

Rose smiled uncharacteristically tenderly down at him. "Trust me," she told him. "Now you know what 'Legacy' means."

Lily glanced at James and Al. "That's why people seem to worship Dad?"

James looked at her with a mix of pride, sadness, and affection. "You noticed?"

Lily gave him a look, and while it still held the knowing quality it had taken on since she turned seven the previous year, it also had a look of quiet understanding that was heartbreaking. "Of course I noticed. And our Mum, her second year – Merlin, her _sixth_ year."

Al knew what she meant. While their father had gone off with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione to hunt horcruxes, their mother, along with Neville and Luna, had been fighting a war of their own at Hogwarts, and they had all come away with scars, both physical and not. His mother had led a resistance of her own, as had his father.

Morgan suddenly spoke up, breaking into all of their thoughts. "Why am I here?" she asked, looking around. Her gaze bored into her sister's. "Why are we here? Mum and Dad were only part of the beginning memories, and those were all about Quidditch. Neither of them were in the Order."

Rowan sighed. "I suppose we have less of a name to live up to, even if both our parents are international Quidditch players. We'll never fully understand how they feel." She nodded at the others in the room. "You and I are here because I accidentally ran across these guys during James, Fred, and Louis's initiation. But Morgan, just because our parents aren't in there doesn't mean they didn't fight."

"You're one of us," Louis assured her unexpectedly, smiling at her. "Never doubt that."

Morgan looked doubtful for a moment. She'd never give _them_ a reason to doubt it either. Whatever she needed to do, she'd put everything into it. Speaking of which, what _were_ they here to do? From the promising looks on the older kids' faces, there was more. Legacy. . . that name was perfect for their situation. There was too much ambition, too much intelligence in this room to be satisfied with the truth and the knowledge that there was too much to live up to.

There had to be more. "That isn't –"

"All," Lorcan agreed, apparently having the same thoughts as Morgan. "What are you planning –"

"– to do about it?" Lily finished, agreeing with her friends.

Lucy's expression was suitably blank, but her eyes held a sort of shining pride. "You certainly figured that out faster than they did." She nodded at the four first year Gryffindors, who narrowed their eyes challengingly.

"I know what you're thinking," Alice growled, "and excuse me if –"

"We are NOT doing this," Vic interrupted, giving them all hard stares. Most people assumed that Gryffindors and Slytherins clashed because Gryffindors were brave and reckless; chivalrous and noble while Slytherins were deliberate and calculating, looking out for themselves. It was a Ravenclaw theory, however, that the two houses clashed because of Gryffindor's determination and Slytherin's ambition, one Vic supported.

It was the same characteristic displayed in different ways. Gryffindors didn't let fear get in their way, and fear of some sort was the only thing that ever stopped a person from doing whatever they wanted. Therefore, Gryffindors always got what they wanted. Slytherins, on the other, were equally as ambitious – they were hungry for power, but got it by plotting and deceiving and making sure that they didn't get hurt in the process of taking it. These were two completely different approaches with the same end, and therefore the Houses clashed horribly.

That, and their pride. Slytherins were elitist and proud, even if the elitism wasn't strictly blood-related any longer, but Gryffindors were just as arrogant. Neither house would back down – even if Slytherins pretended to so as to prevent themselves from getting hurt in a direct confrontation, they always plotted revenge from the shadows. Of course, the Gryffindors were well aware of this fact, and in turn never let their guard down. They were daring, they were brave, they were noble, and they would take whatever was coming, crush it in their fists, and send it flying back at the enemy.

Vic knew her Aunt Hermione supported this theory, but Aunt Hermione was biased, being a Gryffindor herself and possessing the aforementioned pride, so she put it a little differently. (There was a certain Christmas dinner conversation Vic recalled that proved her point perfectly.) In Vic's opinion, Ravenclaws were the best. They were intelligent about these things. Knowledge was important, not because knowledge was power, as the Slytherins believed, or because knowledge let you know what you were facing so you could deal with it, as the Gryffindors believed, but simply because if fed the brain, heightened one's intelligence, and was always useful. Daring and ambition could get you killed, but you were always better off knowledgeable as opposed to innocent and blissful.

"That's for another night," Teddy broke into her thoughts. "You'll find out soon, I promise. But for now, just try to take it all in."

The younger kids looked slightly disappointed, but they nodded anyway. Dom gave them a grin. "Believe me," she told them, "this is where the fun begins."

None of them had any trouble believing her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, here's chapter ten then. Please do review. Even if it's just one sentence. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

_Rose,_

_Darling, you've got to prepare for these exams. I know you're a smart girl, but frankly, you've inherited your father's study habits – that is to say, you haven't got any. You're probably thinking that it's only first year, but even those exams are important. Tell Al and Alice, too! If your grades are not satisfactory I will be forced to take away your Quidditch privileges this summer. If you don't have time for studying, you won't have time to fly, I'm afraid. And what's this I hear about you, Al, Rose, and Scorpius getting detention for hexing some poor Slytherin – a certain Miles Corney, I believe? I will not tolerate this atrocious behavior! Breaking rules – I've had it up to here with the letters from the Headmistress about your bad behavior. Hexing the other students! It's unbelievable! Regardless of what your father says, we never had much excitement at Hogwarts. Yes, there were the Quidditch rivalries, and yes, your Uncle Harry and your father did once fly to Hogwarts in a car, but otherwise, we were fairly well behaved students. After all, your father and I were Prefects, and your Uncle Harry was Quidditch Captain – you've got to be a good student for that, you know, or they don't allow you to play. Dad sends his love. Hugo was wondering if you could stay at Hogwarts over the summer, too. He doesn't mean it, dear._

_Love, Mum_

_P.S. I don't know how you managed to break into Filch's office, but that packet of detentions was because Neville wasn't a particularly talented Potions student, and Professor Snape didn't appreciate the Gryffindors. And there's a reason that packet wouldn't open! The protective charms are kept there for a reason, Rose Ginevra Weasley!_

Looking up, Rose snorted. "Who's that from?" Al asked from across the table, buttering up a slice of toast.

"Mum," Rose answered, taking a bite of her eggs. Swallowing, she continued disgustedly, "She wanted to remind us to study more. She seems to think if we don't live in the library spending our weekends on revision, we'll somehow fail our O.W.L.s – typical."

"We don't need to study," Scorpius drawled cockily, grinning. Arrogant as that may sound, it was true. They reviewed material all the time; and not just from first year. They may have had an advantage with the pensieve, but they never would have gotten anywhere without the drive to succeed as well.

Rose gave her letter to Alice. "Look at the bottom. She says she doesn't want to know how we broke into Filch's office, but that really, Uncle Harry and Mum and Dad were well-behaved students."

At that, the other three burst into laughter. Alice passed the letter to Scorpius. "Well, to be fair, your mum doesn't know that we've already seen the packet. To her, we're mere first years, incapable of the sort of magic bypassing those charms requires."

"And she definitely doesn't know about the pensieve," Scorpius added.

Rose shrugged. "Did you see what Hugo put in? Still wishing for a little brother, Scorpius?"

He waved a hand. "I'm not changing my mind. I was right, even if you don't know it. So, are we gonna study tonight?"

Al nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "Outside." Rose looked up in surprise – this was news to her. Hugo, Lily, and Roxy and the others had snuck out only yesterday, and there was only every so often they could fly the distance from home to Hogsmeade without getting caught – with their skills, nearly every three days.

There was a reason that every single Legacy member could fly. The ones who had been born with the natural talent for it got a lot of practice and flew with the goal of making their house teams in their second year, as opposed to their third or fourth year – natural talent plus practice never failed, and they had grown up with the sport. The ones who couldn't fly a circle around a Quidditch hoop learned to become average on a broom, if not team player level. (These people were few and far between, especially with their parents. All three of the Potter kids had practically been born on a broomstick).

The four left breakfast for their first class, which was Transfiguration. Apparently, there was going to be some old witch lady talking to the students about their exams, and the Headmistress would be sitting in.

"I've heard she's a nightmare," Alice whispered. "James was totally rude to her yesterday; she was treating him like an idiot because he wasn't paying attention, and she said something about how he shouldn't expect to pass his exams when he do something, and he did it. . . I didn't get the details."

"We can expect that sort of treatment from her, then?" Scorpius asked.

"Of course," Al grumbled under his breath. "Another adult talking down to us. Life, mates, is bloody unfair."

"What are you talking about?" Scorpius demanded incredulously. "Like we can't handle anything she throws at us! We'll teach her that even first years shouldn't be treated like we don't know anything, _and _the Headmistress will be in the room to watch us prove Hogwarts students aren't idiots, no matter how young we are."

Scorpius, Rose reflected, had gotten considerably more arrogant since arriving at Hogwarts. Of course, you couldn't be a Gryffindor, and moreover part of Legacy, and not come off a little arrogant; there was a lot to be arrogant about.

They strolled into the room and took their seats. Scorpius saw Headmistress McGonagall in the back and was about to call out a cheerful "Minnie!" before noticing the old, grey-haired witch at the front of the classroom, standing imperiously beside Professor Bones. He may not have respected the bad-tempered witch, based on the older cousins' claims, but he definitely respected Minerva McGonagall, quite a lot.

"Morning, class," Professor Bones greeted them. "This is Madam Geraldine Breycoff; she'll be overseeing the class today. Pass your essays up, please, and then we'll start."

Once they had done so, she began. "Today, we'll be doing a bit of revision before the exams. Now, I know you've –"

The woman coughed, and the four Gryffindors were reminded unpleasantly of Dolores Umbridge. "You have been doing revisions, I assume?"

"Yes," chorused the class. Really, it was a truthful answer. After much frightening rumor passed on to them by the amused older students, the first years were terrified of being sent to Azkaban for earning less than seventy-five percent on any exam, or of getting their wands snapped in half from the shame of failing to perform the perfect levitation spell in Charms. Rose, Al, Scorpius, and Alice practiced nightly, of course.

She scowled. "I tend not to believe you children when you claim such things."

The class was in stunned silence. "That's it," Scorpius muttered to Rose, losing the last tiny shred of respect he'd had for the woman. "We're showing her how 'childlike' we really are."

"For example," Madam Breycoff continued in a high voice. She pointed at the first row of Gryffindors, which happened to be the row that the four Legacy students were sitting in – not that they had planned it that way, of course.

"Transfigure these mice –" and here she turned their quills into mice, "- into goblets."

The class gasped; everyone knew that was second year work. What had happened to make this woman so nasty? The four exchanged determined glances as Professor Bones's eyebrows shot up in outrage and McGonagall prepared to intervene. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her nostrils were flared – she looked furious. Madam Breycoff gave the Headmistress a triumphant look; and the four immediately understood; it wasn't them the old witch had a problem with, it was McGonagall.

Before any protests could be uttered, however, the friends spoke as one: "_Vera Verto." _

To the astonishment of their fellow classmates and professor, the mice vanished and were replaced with four pristine crystal goblets. Madam Breycoff went white, and Scorpius twisted in his seat to watch his Headmistress's reaction.

For a moment, her eyes were wide with surprise, before they quickly went back to normal. Her mouth was set in a slight smirk, however, and Scorpius inwardly beamed at the pride shining in her eyes.

Her gaze swept the four of them, and when it landed on him, he offered her a grin. Turning back around happily, Scorpius grinned at his friends. "That was great!" he whispered so only they could hear.

From their expressions, they felt the same way. "I suppose," Madam Breycoff said stiffly, "that that was passable."

Their expressions dropped in outrage, and Rose slammed her hands down on the desk. "That was second year work!" she exclaimed angrily.

Sensing the tension in the air go up monumentally, Professor Bones quickly intervened. "Fifty points to Gryffindor for an incredible display of magic," she awarded them, smiling. As their Head of House, she felt the need to show them her pride, and added, "And ten more if you can conjure a snake and explain to me what type of Transfiguration this is and why is it considered such."

Al beat the others to it, and enunciated clearly, "_Serpensortia_!" A snake shot out of the end of his wand, and Professor Bones nodded.

"Well done," she said approvingly, "and the explanation?"

"It's a conjuration," Al answered easily. "One of the most difficult types of Transfiguration, but this particular spell isn't too hard, even for a first or second year. Although most conjuration spells are only taught to N.E.W.T. students, this in particular is a feat accomplishable by a younger student, provided the student has the knowledge necessary to perform the spell." Remembering how Scorpius's father had used it against his own when they dueled in their second year, he continued, "It's an effective spell in dueling, although vanishing the snake is even simpler, and is considered both a part of Transfiguration but also could be considered a counter-spell."

"Ten points to Gryffindor. Miss Longbottom! Care to demonstrate the vanishing spell?"

Almost lazily, Alice drew her wand and said, "_Vipera Evanesca_."

"Another five points to Gryffindor." There was a groan from the other side of the room, while the Gryffindors cheered; only the Scorpius, Al, Rose, and Alice could managed to earn Gryffindor seventy points in one class.

Of course, it was only fair, considering how many points their family lost the House.

* * *

There was a sudden long, low sound from outside, and then the sound of footsteps. Everyone in the room instantly froze, and then there was a scramble to shrink the pensieve and allow the younger kids to escape with it first. They snuck out back and were running off into the Forbidden Forest with their brooms before anyone could catch them.

Teddy was the next to go, considering he wasn't a Hogwarts student. Lucy, Dom, Vic, and Molly were right on his heels, and James tossed the four first years the invisibility cloak as he left with Fred and Louis – just as three people entered the room.

Al threw the cloak over the four of them just as the light from the first person's _lumos _hit them. "How the hell did we get in here?" a girl's voice asked harshly, and Al recognized her as a Slytherin. As the light spread, he realized all three were Slytherins.

"No idea," answered Girl 2. They all seemed to be around fourth year.

"I didn't know there was a room under the Whomping Willow. Who'd build something here? That bloody tree is mad, I'm telling you. I've got a huge bruise on my ribs!" exclaimed the third Slytherin, a boy.

"Oh dear," Girl 1 spoke dryly. "Do you need a Healer?"

"Shut up," Boy snapped. Then he seemed to notice the room. "I still have no idea what we're doing here. One moment, we're sneaking across the grounds, talking about what the older Riddlers told Guinesse the other day about how they were thinking of getting some first years to join us so they can spy on bloody Lucy Weasley, Will Raven, Holly Charlotte, and Dylan Curtis's lot, and the next thing I know, we've slid through some mad hole into this place. Oh, hell – is that blood? Look at all these scratches. . . Merlin, d'you think it really is haunted?"

"Don't be silly," Girl 1 snorted, rolling her eyes. "It hasn't been haunted for years."

_Older Riddlers? _Rose mouthed at Alice, bewildered and suspicious at the mention of her cousin and their friends.

"This could be a good meeting place for us. . ." Girl 2 murmured thoughtfully.

_Oh, Merlin, no! _The four friends were engulfed in identical feelings of pure panic before they froze in sudden realization. Within a second, they were moving in tandem, as only people who had spent innumerable hours engaged in deviously reckless behavior and shared the closest sort of friendship that extended into family could do.

In other words, they took advantage of the one thing Gryffindors thrived on – fear. Al tossed some Peruvian instant darkness powder (which they all carried, after that incident in the forbidden corridor by the dungeons) into the air, and the seven students were enveloped in darkness.

"What was that?" hissed Boy in a high voice.

Knowing the darkness would hide them, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice slipped out from under the cloak, concealed with precautionary disillusionment charms. "You dare," boomed Scorpius from one corner of the room. His voice was low and rather Bloody-Baron like, in all honesty.

The three Slytherins caught their breath in unison. "Look, whoever you are, I know you're a student."

"For years," Rose hissed from the other side of the room, letting her voice become scratchy and tortured, "I have suffered. . . for years, I've waited for students to come back. . . I'm hungry. . . _hungry. . ._"

The three did not even consider defiance – what were they, Gryffindors? They weren't stupid! They backed up to the door slowly, but Alice was there instantly, stopping them. She let her voice go high, cackling insanely. "Hee hee hee! Ha ha! Ho ho ho ha hee hee hee!"

And then Al joined in, laughing in a growling voice modeled after Mad-Eye Moody's, "Ha ha ha ha ha!" It was the perfect evil villain laugh. "You should not have come. We cannot deny ourselves meat that so willingly wanders into our midst."

Boy let out a whimper, and they four took that as a cue to start laughing again. Alice's high, maniacal guffaws, Scorpius's low, menacing chuckles, Rose's scratchy, painful hisses, and Al's deep-throated, snarling laughs echoed in the room, and the Slytherins screamed.

"Please!" shouted Girl 2. "We'll do anything. We can offer you loads of meat!"

"Can you?" Scorpius mused, sounding sinisterly fascinated.

"We can?" Boy hissed.

"Yes, you idiot! We'll give them the Mudbloods! What better way to get rid of them and escape with our lives?"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Scorpius bellowed, his voice thundering. Gryffindor or not, Rose would have run like hell if she'd heard him speak to her like that. What were they going to do? They'd be found out. . . unless. . .

She moved closer to Alice and whispered almost inaudibly into her ear. Alice stiffened, but Rose felt her nod. Rose moved over to Al and repeated the action while Alice told Scorpius, cackling madly to keep the Slytherins distracted.

It was advanced magic, and they couldn't do it yet – but maybe. . . Alice slipped out, and a minute later, she was back with Lucy, who had a cold expression on her face. Dom and Molly followed. This was illegal, which was why they'd tried to refrain from doing it. . . if anyone ever found out. . . nevertheless, it was necessary; and besides, they'd broken many more laws than just this. They could go to Azkaban for their crimes.

Lucy stepped forward, feeling around, and she grabbed someone by their robes. It was Boy, who yelped. Dom and Molly each felt around and grabbed a Slytherin, making sure they had the right person before they all hissed in low voices, "_Obliviate._"

They heard thuds as the Slytherins were knocked back with the force of the spells, and Molly let out a shaky breath. "Merlin. . ."

They stood there in silence for several moments, the weight of what they'd just done suffocating them. Finally, Lucy spoke up in an emotionless voice. "We've got to get them out; replace their memories with something harmless."

"They were taking a walk," Alice volunteered, the usual attitude gone from her voice.

"Right," Dom agreed. "Listen, you four – get out of here. We'll take care of things, all right? Don't worry about it."

Figuring that it wasn't the time to explain what they had learned from the Slytherins, Al, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice quickly left, taking the invisibility cloak with them.

The walk back to the castle was a solemn one. None of them spoke, all lost in their thoughts. They went up to the dormitories early, although not one of them managed to fall asleep.

It was only much later, several hours after midnight, when it occurred to any of them what they had forgotten, in the midst of "taking care" of the Slytherins: there was a lot more to the Riddlers than any of them had known.

They were planning something.


	11. Chapter 11

**To answer a few questions: **

**They grew up with the Longbottoms and the Woods and the Scamanders; of course they're friends. They could hardly reject their friendship because of who their parents are; that would go against everything Legacy stands for. However, they do have others – Lucy's got her own Slytherin friends; Dom hangs out with her own Gryffindor friends, although generally, the Quidditch Team are very close. There are the Pryces, too, and they aren't enemies with Scorpius – rather, they've got the Riddlers and Boris Morris and Miles Corney for their own reasons. They don't care if their friend circles resemble their parents or not. Not only do they want to escape that legacy and create one of their own, but they also want to make sure that things like that aren't affected by their parents. "Oh, our parents hated this family, we can't be friends" and so on. **

**Also, Lily/Scorpius just doesn't feel right to me. I'm one of those people who firmly believes that J.K. was giving us clues to the future pairing of Rosius. **

**As for the Heads of House, I've seen a lot of controversy in new-gen fanfics regarding how they are chosen – whether by professor or position – but in the majority of them, it seems to by position. Professor Bones _is _Susan Bones, who _was_ a Hufflepuff, but as Transfiguration teacher she's Head of Gryffindor House. I was just trying to go by majority, although personally, I think the other way makes more sense – after all, as a Hufflepuff, she should technically be cheering on the Hufflepuffs. Ah, well. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Al Potter was going crazy. Here they were, at King's Cross Station, about to be sent off to Hogwarts for another amazing year – he really should be jumping for joy.

But Lily wouldn't shut up about how great it was going to be, and how she couldn't wait to start learning magic (legally, that was, but the adults didn't need to know that). Al noted with mild indignation that James hadn't said a word to Lily about getting sorted into Slytherin. That was to be expected, however – James and Al were quite close, although James was never afraid to mess with him constantly, but the sort of fierce protectiveness the brothers felt towards Lily ensured that only the very mildest of mild teasing was allowed towards her.

And that meant that James couldn't quite bring himself to see the extreme joy leave his little sister's face by having her worry about her House. Truthfully, he needn't have worried – Lily was about as scared of her sorting as she would be of a pygmy puff.

Al impatiently scanned the crowd for Rose, Scorpius, and Alice. As third years, the Hogsmeade privilege permission slip had come home, and his dad had actually demanded to see it so he could sign it – Al hadn't even had to ask. Considering his dad's experience with the form, though, Al could see why this was. He wasn't complaining, anyway. He was extremely excited at the thought of being able to go to Hogsmeade (again, legally, though the adults didn't need to know this, either – although, hadn't his father done the same thing in his third year? The hypocrisy of scolding them for doing the same thing wouldn't be lost on them).

Suddenly, he heard an enthusiastic voice scream, "AL!" A moment later, he was attacked from being. Staggering forward a few steps, Al turned as the person let go of him, grinning madly.

"Alice!" He smiled at her. "Have you seen Rose or Scorpius?"

As if on cue, Scorpius appeared behind him. "Al! Hey, Alice." Alice promptly hugged the life out of him as well, while Scorpius struggled to breathe, scowling at Al over Alice's shoulder as Al smirked at him.

"I've seen you for two seconds and I'm already bruised," Scorpius complained. He had had a massive growth spurt over the summer, and already had an inch or two on Al's dad – who, Al had to admit, wasn't very tall at the height of five and a half feet – both his sons were already taller than him. It seemed Rose, who was exactly at eye level with Al's dad, was no longer the tallest of their group.

Alice hadn't managed to grow past her five foot self, but she managed to make up for it with her extreme exuberance and monstrously sarcastic attitude.

"My, my, look how you've grown," said another voice from behind them, and they turned to find Rose grinning at them, looking slightly out of breath. "Hey, Alice. Scorpius! Bloody hell, you're taller than me." She hugged him, grinning at Al. "I haven't seen you in a month. How was Nice?"

"It was great! I've finally picked up enough French to keep up Vic, Dom, or Louis – or you guys, I guess. It was really hot there, though. What took you so long to get here?"

"Hugo," Rose answered in irritation. "He forgot his _trunk. _How do you forget your _trunk?_ He even had his wand in there!"

"I was preoccupied!" Hugo said defensively from behind her.

"Honestly, Hugo," Rose sighed in a manner reminiscent of their mother. Only her Al, Scorpius, and Alice recognized the mischievous gleam in her eyes as she took a page out of James's book. "Where are you going to put your Hufflepuff robes if you haven't got a trunk to store them in?"

Clearly aggravated, Hugo screamed, "I will not – be – a _sodding _– Hufflepuff!" Apparently they had been over this many times.

"So you say, little brother." Rose grinned. "So you say." Really, everyone knew Hugo was destined to be a Gryffindor – he was just like his father.

Scorpius and Alice gave her amused looks, while Al gave her a look. She shrugged and looked up as the Malfoys, Scamanders, Woods, and Longbottoms neared the Weasley-Potter group. Rose casually threw her arm around Scorpius's shoulders and waved at Draco Malfoy, whose eyes narrowed. Clearly his son hadn't come to his senses yet about picking good friends. (He had once mentioned this to Scorpius, who had retorted, "Because Crabbe and Goyle were such gems, right Dad?" Draco had refrained from mentioning this to his Scorpius again and instead quietly hoped that he would see reason some day.)

As their parents exchanged greetings and turned to wish their children goodbye, Rose's father gave her a pained expression. "Rose, you'd better win the Quidditch Cup this year. Or I'll disinherit you."

Her mum nodded, whispering in her ear, "Love, you can't lose to Slytherin again. You're Gryffindors! Quidditch Cup, House Cup – they're both yours, you understand? So if I hear that you lost either because of some harebrained adventure you've gone off on, I'll force you to clean the entire third floor after a family get-together, got it?"

Rose paled. The third floor of their house was the one with all the guest rooms, and she did _not_ fancy being blasted in the face with another one of Fred's WWW firecrackers. Besides, she couldn't bear the shame – her first year had been the first year Gryffindor had lost either the House Cup in over a decade. That year, Captain Lucy Weasley carried the Slytherin team to victory by winning the Quidditch Cup for the first time during her captaincy, and the second time during her career on the team. The first time had been in 2015, breaking Gryffindor's beautiful streak of Quidditch Cups year after year almost incessantly since Harry Potter had played for their team as Seeker. Then, in Rose's second year, Lucy had managed another Quidditch Cup win, although Gryffindor secured the House Cup.

This year was Lucy's last year, and she was determined to win both the House Cup and Quidditch Cup for Slytherin (although obviously, as Captain, she felt Quidditch was more important) in a final blaze of glory before her run at Hogwarts was over.

Of course, it was Dom's last year as well, and as the Gryffindor Captain, she was just as determined to win the Quidditch Cup (and House Cup, although that wasn't her main concern) for Gryffindor one last time during her captaincy before she graduated, maintaining the legendary status of the Gryffindor Team as so many captains before her had.

They all boarded the train, and Al, Rose, Scorpius, and Alice found their usual compartment. It was a historic one for them – the compartment where the Golden Trio first met, the compartment where they had found _JP+LE_ and _Long Live the Marauders _scratched into the wall, and the compartment they had first sat in as first years.

They eventually fell asleep, having stayed up late the previous night at an impromptu Legacy meeting; the first years couldn't contain their excitement at the prospect of being Hogwarts students.

After all, Hogwarts for regular witches and wizards was a place where lifelong friendships were made, couples first fell in love, and one's most cherished memories were held. For them, it was all this and their opportunity to leave behind their own legacy before they moved on to the wizarding world and stunned them all by being unforgettable.

"Anything from the trolley –" the old witch broke off as she stared at the four friends inside the compartment: Alice resolutely lying across her own side, Al sprawled across another with legs as a pillow, Scorpius stretched halfway across the other side with Rose curled up beside him, one hand lazily thrown over him.

She smiled to herself at the lovely picture – she could remember back generations; to the time of these children's parents, and their parents' parents, compartment after compartment of people like these. It was part of why she loved this job.

Filled with nostalgia, the witch continued on to the next compartment.

Scorpius was the first to wake a half hour later, his stomach grumbling. As he shifted, Rose made an irritated noise and opened an eye, frowning. "I'm famished," he told her. "Aren't you?"

"I am," came Al's voice sleepily as he sat up. "I'm going to go find the trolley witch."

"I'll come," Rose and Scorpius said in unison. Scorpius looked at Alice. "Alice?" he asked, shaking her. She scowled and turned away, muttering in her sleep. Leaning over her, Scorpius repeated the action. "Do you want any food?"

Alice didn't open her eyes. "No!" she growled furiously. "Leave me alone!"

Warily, Scorpius inched away. "Let's go."

They found the witch quickly enough, intending to buy galleons upon galleons of candy. They were nearing the witch, Rose and Scorpius arguing about whether chocolate frogs or Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans were better (Rose insisted that the beans had it out for her, while Scorpius was adamant that they were a true Gryffindor sort of snack, testing one's bravery and all), when Al stopped suddenly.

"Who is that?" he demanded, staring. Rose leaned over his shoulder in confusion. There was a girl, already clad in Ravenclaw robes, buying pumpkin pasties while laughing with her friend, a tiny blonde.

The girl had dark russet locks, tanned skin, and hazel eyes – she was very pretty, Scorpius thought, but he couldn't remember seeing her before. "I think she's in the year below us," Rose volunteered, frowning, "but I don't know her name. Why?"

"I – she –" Al didn't answer, and the girl left without glancing at them.

He stared after her until Scorpius snapped, "Mate! I'm bloody starving here, so if you could get something. . .?"

"Yeah," Al muttered. His gaze fell on the girl's blonde Ravenclaw friend, and his eyes lit up. "Hey! What's your friend's name?"

The blonde turned to him, arching her eyebrows. "How does that concern you. . .?" Her gaze swept the three of them, and her eyes widened in recognition. "You're Al Potter, Rose Weasley, and Scorpius Malfoy!"

"Yeah. And your friend's name is. . .?" Al prompted as Scorpius let out a growl of frustration and addressed the trolley witch.

"Like I said before," the blonde replied smartly. "It's none of your business. Friends don't give other friends' names to strangers who may be stalkers for all they know."

Al's eyebrows rose in protest, but before he could say a word, the girl smiled, pocketing a few sickles. "My name's Jess Brooks," she told him. "If you want to know my friend's name, ask her yourself. I'm warning you, though – she doesn't typically do this sort of stuff."

_What sort of stuff?_ Al wondered as the girl walked away.

"_Al!" _Rose snapped her fingers in front of his face, and he jumped, letting out an incoherent "huh?" Rolling her eyes, Rose grabbed his shoulder and shoved him forward as they returned to their compartment.

* * *

"Lily Potter!" called Professor Longbottom, and Lily stepped forward, catching the Headmistress's gaze as she went. Professor McGonagall wasn't whispering madly, but even the rest of the staff seemed curious as to how her sorting would go.

The hat was placed on Lily's head, and it mused, _Hmm. . . ambition, like the rest of your family, but you've also got plenty of cunning. . . you're the sort to notice everything and file it away for later, eh? All knowledge can be turned to your advantage. . . very intelligent. . . not a difficult choice at all, Miss Potter. _

And with that, she was sorted into "SLYTHERIN!"

The hall went impossibly quiet, until Lily heard Lucy start to cheer, and the rest of the Slytherin table quickly joined in, roaring applause meeting her as she took a seat. The Gryffindors looked stunned that they weren't accepting yet another Potter into their ranks, and they weren't the only ones.

"Lorcan Scamander!" Professor Longbottom said after several more names.

After only barely a few seconds on his head, the hat boomed, "SLYTHERIN!" Lily's eyebrows went up at that. Two of the new Legacy members in Slytherin, when previously only Lucy had been sorted into the House?

"Congratulations," Lucy told them both, leaning over with a grin. "It's about time."

"Are you disappointed?" Lily asked Lorcan as they watched Xander get sorted into Gryffindor.

He shook his head. "Not at all."

She smiled at him. "Neither am I." Looking over to the Gryffindor table, Lily found both her brothers' eyes on her. James gave her a reassuring smile and shrug, as if to say it was all right that they wouldn't be in the same house. Al smiled sadly at her and nodded, congratulating her. Lily beamed at them – if there was one thing that disappointed her, it was that she wouldn't have her brothers with her. But she knew that if she wanted to make her mark, Slytherin was the best place to go.

"Hugo Weasley!" The hall dissolved into hushed whispers at this name again. The hat hadn't even fully touched Hugo's head before it roared "GRYFFINDOR!" Feeling a stab of disappointment, Lily watched as her cousin proudly made his way to the House of the Lion, welcomed heartily by their family and fellow housemates.

Roxy was sorted into Gryffindor right after him, and then Professor Longbottom called Morgan up. She was a hatstall – the students around Lily looked furious at the hat for taking so long when they had a feast coming.

Finally, the hat declared her a Slytherin – and Lily, Lorcan, and Lucy exchanged considering looks. For the first time, that year's Legacy members were half Gryffindor, half Slytherin. They had _three _new Slytherins joining the House of the Snake.

Lily smiled to herself. At least she wouldn't be alone.


	12. Chapter 12

**As always, please do review! I really appreciate it :) **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Lily leaned back against the wall as she reviewed the plan with Morgan and Lorcan. The fact that they'd been sorted into Slytherin had been an impossibly lucky occurrence for Legacy. After the incident in the Shrieking Shack the previous year, it had been agreed that they needed to find out more about the Riddlers' plans.

There was a secret room in the Slytherin common room where the Riddlers generally met, at least according to Lucy's friend, Holly Charlotte. None of the four Slytherin Legacy members were allowed into that room.

As first years, however. . .

"Let's go," Lily said confidently, and she closed her eyes briefly and concentrated on the feeling she got when she was in pensieve, watching Sirius Black fall into the veil. . . seeing Dobby die to save her father. . . looking at Remus and Tonks's dead bodies, their hands spread inches away from touching. . . Uncle Ron bent over Fred's dead body, George's ashen face staring. . . Aunt Hermione erasing her parents' memories of her to protect them. . .

She felt a tear slide down her cheek and her eyes flew open, one last memory lingering – the sound of her grandmother and namesake's screams and the last stand of her grandfather, James.

As the tears came, Lily started sniffling. Turning to find that Morgan's eyes were bloodshot and Lorcan looked miserable, she hurriedly muttered the password and rushed into the common room. She pretended to run blindly, hurling herself into the wall near the fireplace where a tiny carved snake was visible.

The others followed, and the stumbled into a room with around twenty students or so. Every one of them froze when the three first years came hurtling in, and a burly seventh year girl approached, eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing in here?" she snarled.

"I- I'm sorry," Lily stammered, pretending to discreetly wipe her tears away so as not to appear weak. "I just – my family hates me!"

"Well, you're a sniveling little first year brat. It's not hard to see why," the girl snapped, drawing back.

"Give it a rest, Bulstrode," a boy called. He arched an eye at Lily. "Why do they hate you?"

"Because," Lily said, "for generations, my family has been in Gryffindor. There's never been anyone not in that House, and now I've gone and gotten myself sorted here! I hate them! I hate them all, and that stupid house!"

"Don't we all," the boy muttered under his breath. He eyed her critically. "Blood status?"

"Pureblood," Lorcan confirmed. "All of our parents were witches and wizards." Just like the rest of the Riddlers, of course. There weren't enough pureblood families to be like the Malfoys, perhaps, or the Parkinsons, but none of them were Muggle-born, or even half-blood.

"Hold on, Devienne," another girl suddenly said. "I recognize that one – that's Lily Potter."

"We're going to get back at them," Morgan spoke up, ignoring the murmurs that followed the discovery of Lily's identity. "We're going to show them that Slytherin is a better house, and that our families can go ahead and hate us if they want; they should be jealous!"

She would have done Lucy proud. Lily wondered briefly whether arrogance was an unofficial requisite for Slytherin, before realizing that the only reason it wasn't listed was probably because most Gryffindors had it in spades, as well.

"Aren't you related to Lucy Weasley?" demanded the girl, curling her lip at the name. "She's a Slytherin."

"She convinced my family eventually because other Weasleys have been Ravenclaws – my cousins Vic and Molly. But Potters, on the other hand. . ." Lily's voice was bitter.

Devienne surveyed her speculatively. "Well," he said abruptly. "You three should leave. And don't go wandering around – you wouldn't want to end up in a situation that is. . . unsavory."

Lily nodded rapidly and spun around. "Uh. . . how do I leave?" she asked.

"Close your eyes," Devienne ordered, a moment later she felt herself being pushed roughly forward, Morgan and Lorcan right beside her.

As the three went back to Lorcan's dormitory, which was currently empty, Morgan murmured thoughtfully, "They didn't offer to take us in."

Lorcan glanced at her. "They haven't showed us much kindness. They want to see if we'll go running back to our families in a few days, when the shock of being sorted into Slytherin has died down."

"Hmm. . ." Morgan grinned. "I suppose we'll have to have some sort of horrible argument with one of the older ones, yes? Maybe James and Rowan could blatantly ignore us in front of a few Riddlers? Devienne, perhaps?"

Lily grinned back. "How very devious."

Lorcan sprawled across the bed. "We can do that whenever they have potions in a few days. For now, all we can do is wait."

And wait they did, though they didn't have to do it very long. Three days later, James and Rowan were leaving potions alone, as per the plan. They were headed off to Quidditch practice, while Fred and Louis had gone off to do who knew what – probably something against the rules.

"James!" Lily called after her brother desperately. A few Slytherins on their way to their common room glanced at them with mild interest. What had happened to make Lily Potter, daughter of the famous Harry Potter, sound so distraught?

James continued walking coldly, and Morgan and Lily ran after them in one last vain attempt at reconciliation, leaving Lorcan behind to find his brother. "Rowan!" Morgan cried. "Please, wait!"

Lily saw with satisfaction that Devienne had paused, one eyebrow arched. Lily grasped her brother's arm, and he spun around with a furious glare. Lily shrank back in the face of that anger – she didn't have to act; when Gryffindors got righteously enraged, they were forces to reckon with.

"What?" James snarled. "Come to apologize? I thought I knew you, Lily – and now you're a slimy, deceitful little snake! The first in our family, Lily! The _only._"

She drew back. "Lucy's a Slytherin!"

"LUCY ISN'T A POTTER!" Lily would be running if she hadn't known her brother was acting – or was he completely? "We were supposed to be in the House of the brave together, Lils." She winced. "And now, you're here instead, and – I'm disgusted with you."

Lily's anger flared. "Fine! I wouldn't want to be a Gryffindor, anyway. Obviously, they've mistaken stupidity for bravery! And all your _noble _and _honorable _spiel is ridiculous – just an excuse to not have to do real work to get what you want!"

James's temper seemed to flare for real as well. "Tell yourself that, Lily. 'Cunning' is what they call your cowardice – you don't want a direct confrontation, so you run away and skulk in the shadows, plotting and lying and being no better than a filthy criminal to get your way without honor, without work. And your hunger for power makes you willing to do anything to other people, as long as you're all right yourself. You have no sense of loyalty, courage, or honor, so don't insult my House when yours is filled with despicable people!"

Fuming, Lily turned and stormed away, pure, unadulterated rage filling every inch of her face. How dare he insult her house like that? If that was what he thought –

Morgan caught up with her a few moments later. There were no tears now, no misery – only a vengeful desire to shove their siblings' words back down their throats. "No shouting match, nothing," Morgan told her. "Not like you and James. All I said was, 'Rowan, I'm your _sister._' And she said, 'I don't have a sister. All my family's honorable.' And that was it."

Before this had happened, James and Rowan had assured them that they would be talking purely about the Riddlers with their insults, so Lily and Morgan knew it was all a farce – but it was easy to summon up anger at the hurtful words.

"We're going to show them," Lily vowed, turning to stare hard at Morgan.

"I can help you with that," a charming, cultured voice offered pleasantly. They spun around to find Devienne smiling promisingly at them. He walked over and put a hand on each of their backs, guiding them towards the Slytherin common room.

"You see. . ."

* * *

Al scanned the pitch fervently, straining to catch any flashes of gold; any signs indicating the presence of the snitch. It was the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor game; the first game of the year, and Dom was going to have his head if he didn't catch the snitch only after Gryffindor was at least a hundred points ahead.

The Ravenclaws' Keeper was no match for their Chasers (thank you, Rose Weasley, James Potter, and Del Pryce) so the score was currently seventy-ten to Gryffindor. In the words of the commentator, Gryffindor's Keeper Wood was 'on fire.' Ravenclaw Chaser Cecy Pryce had been the only one to manage to get the Quaffle past Rowan.

Al grinned to himself at Cecy's expression. The girl was seething, and her sister blew her a kiss before catching the Quaffle easily as Rose passed it to her. They scored again, and the crowd cheered.

"EIGHTY-TEN, GRYFFINDOR!" boomed the commentator enthusiastically. It happened to be Fred Weasley. "AND NOW, RAVENCLAW IN POSSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE, PRYCE NARROWLY AVOIDS A BLUDGER – OUCH, GRYFFINDOR BEATER MALFOY GETS HER IN THE ARM, FORCING HER TO DROP THE QUAFFLE, WHICH IS PICKED UP BY GRYFFINDOR CHASER WEASLEY!"

Al circled the pitch once more. If Gryffindor scored twice more, he could catch the snitch without Dom beating his head in with her Beater's bat. Dom and Scorpius had always been maniacs on the pitch, but Dom was starting to show an entirely new level of crazy, and was a major reason apart from Rowan why Ravenclaw only had ten points.

There was one player out on the pitch that interested Al more than anything, though – and she had dark russet hair, played Seeker for the other team, and had refused to give him her name since the beginning of the school year. For some reason, the girls in his year and hers thought it was incredible and refused to tell him her name.

In fact, just yesterday he had caught her in the library, which he knew she frequented quite often:

_"Tell me your name." Al laughed as she scowled and sank deeper in her seat, using her book – _Gone With the Wind _– to hide her face. _

_"Scarlett O'Hara," she finally snapped, not looking up from her book. _

_With the typical, charming Potter smile, Al held out his hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you, Scarlett. I'm Rhett Butler." _

_She looked up at that, lowering her book, her mouth open. "You've read it?" she asked in astonishment. "I didn't know you – you didn't seem like the type to read Muggle classics." _

_He frowned slightly. "How would you know what I seem like? You haven't so much as shaken my hand." _

_She bit her lip. "But you – you're Al Potter! Famous son of Harry Potter, Gryffindor and top of the class, Quidditch prodigy, charming, good-looking, and intelligent. Cheesy pick-up lines aside, I thought that was all there was to know." _

_He grinned at her. "There's a lot you don't know about me. Why don't we find out at the next Hogsmeade weekend in two weeks? I know you're too young, but we could do something else."_

_She looked at him for a few moments before taking his hand, which was still outstretched. "Yeah," she agreed. "I'd like that." _

_Al resisted the urge to do a victory dance. "Anyway. . . good luck tomorrow. Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw, and I heard they've got a new Seeker." Then he added wryly, "Although they kept her identity a secret." _

_Her eyes lit up with laughter, and Al found he rather liked it. "I guess you'll find out at the game."_

_"You'll be there, won't you? I've seen you out on the pitch before, so I know you like to fly." _

_For some reason, she appeared even more amused, and she laughed. It sounded like music to Al. A few seconds after he had that thought, he mentally slapped himself, wondering if he had a fever. Maybe he'd eaten something bad at lunch that afternoon. Scorpius would have a field day if he knew what Al was thinking. Even Alice and Rose would thoroughly enjoy taking the mickey out of him for that. _

_"Oh, I'll be there," promised the Ravenclaw, breaking into his horrified thoughts. _

_"Great." He left the library feeling almost ridiculously happy. _

_Whoever invented the cheering charm had been wasting their time. _

A sudden flash of gold broke Al out of his reverie, and he sped towards it. The Ravenclaw Seeker (her last name was Collins, although he wasn't sure what her first name was) hadn't managed to spot the snitch yet.

The snitch vanished from his left, and he tracked its progress as it circled before dashing off to hover near the ground. Al pressed his lips together. Collins was closer to it than he was, and she was a good flyer. He needed to. . .

Brows furrowed in concentration, Al suddenly shot towards the ground in the opposite direction of the snitch, right in front of the other Seeker. She followed immediately, and he heard Fred commentating excitedly. Everything else faded as he suddenly swerved inches away from the ground, and she crashed into the ground brutally.

He winced, filled with regret as his hand closed around the snitch, but Quidditch was a brutal game, and really, he didn't even know her name.

"AL POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS 240-10!" Apparently Rose had managed to get that last shot in. A sense of victory filled him, and he turned to find that Collins was dusting off her robes ruefully.

He gave her an apologetic nod, which she returned with a wryly, although she didn't look too happy about her loss. Just then, Fred's voice suddenly shouted out – "AH! IT APPEARS THE GRYFFINDOR CAPTAIN DOM WEASLEY IS INJURED, HIT BY A STRAY BLUDGER JUST BEFORE THE GAME ENDED."

Al immediately spun and watched in horror as Dom was put on a stretched and carted off to the hospital wing by the Headmistress. He ran up to her as the rest of the team crowded around their captain. "Professor McGonagall, is she conscious?"

"She'll be fine," the Headmistress snapped brusquely. Then she gave them a rare smile. "Congratulations on your win."

Al grinned, and the rest of the team followed to the hospital wing.

* * *

"She's finally awake!" Rose managed to get out, panting. Al, Scorpius, and Alice dropped their utensils and ran out of the Great Hall. Dom had been unconscious nearly the whole day – it was now dinnertime.

They hurtled into the hospital wing, ignoring Madam Pomfrey, who tutted at them disapprovingly, muttering under her breath. Dom was propped up against two pillows, and she had a dark bruise on her forehead. Her left eye was black, although there wasn't any vestige that her nose had been broken.

"Dom?" Rose asked, looking worriedly at her cousin. Dom coughed, spitting out blood, before giving them a crooked, bloody-toothed grin. "Don't die." Rose glanced at Al as Dom's eyes fluttered shut again. "Should I say it in French? Sometimes when Aunt Fleur wants her to listen, she speaks in French." Although, Vic was more likely to appreciate French than Dom, who only spoke it when absolutely forced to – but who were they to argue with Aunt Fleur's calming techniques?

Al waved his hand in front of Dom's face. She didn't stir. "Worth a try," he decided.

"Ah. . ." Rose swallowed. "Nous avons gagné le match." _We won the match. _She glanced at Al and Scorpius. Was that right? Apparently, it was good enough. Dom cracked an eye open and smiled painfully.

"Je t'adore, Dom," Rose continued solemnly. _I love you, Dom. _At that, Dom mumbled something. "Et tu m'adore aussi?" Rose guessed. _And you love me, too?_

Dom shook her head slightly. "J'ai dit. . . que je sais . ."

_I said. . . that I know. . . _

Rose snorted. Her cousin was fine.

* * *

"I can't believe the year's over," Rose sighed, leaning against the compartment wall and putting her feet on the opposite seat, in Alice's lap.

"_I_ can't believe Slytherin won the House Cup," Scorpius said disgustedly.

Al grinned. "Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, though." He rubbed his side. "I think I still have a bruise on my ribs she from Dom's hug. . . and her tear stains on the shirt I wore to the celebratory party that night."

Alice shook her head. "Lily wouldn't stop talking about how great it was to win the House Cup in her first year, especially when Gryffindor's losses are so rare. She's just lucky that her House had Lucy."

"And Will, Dylan, and Holly," Rose put in. "Never would have won the House without them."

"I can't believe we lost by ten points. I knew there was a reason Professor Dewing knocked off those points!" Scorpius exclaimed.

Rose grinned at him. "I think it might have had more to do with the fact that we set of end of the year celebration fireworks in the middle of her class."

"She didn't know it was us!" Al argued.

Alice and Rose turned to give him a look, but Scorpius nodded vigorously. "Really, it could have been anyone," he reasoned.

"Scorpius – you said 'it worked!'" Alice rolled her eyes. "I think it was pretty clear who did it."

"I was talking about the potion."

They laughed. "I don't understand how Lily can still be so talkative," Al said eventually. "I mean, aren't Slytherins supposed to be tacit? The whole silent-and-brooding thing?"

"Silent, maybe," a new voice said from the doorway, and they turned to find Lucy standing there. "Definitely not brooding. That's more of you Gryffindor hero types' thing."

Scorpius scowled moodily and glared out the window, a dark expression crossing his face. "Like this?" he growled.

Rose's leaned over and poked him in the forehead, her eyes wide. "That's perfect," she said in amazement. "You should write a book!"

He let the expression drop, grinning at her. "On how to brood?"

Alice waved a hand. "Well, it won't work if you look like _that. _But keep the glower up, and you could be a real hit! I reckon you could make galleons off that look."

Al gave her a look that said he thought she was crazy. "For _what_? Witch Weekly's 'Top Ten Most Tortured Single Children of War Figures?'"

"They have one of those?" Scorpius demanded.

He nodded. "They've got a new list every year, according to Serena. We were laughing at an old copy with my dad on it." Serena Collins – Al's date with her during  
Hogsmeade weekend had been a great hit, and she discovered that he'd read practically everything she had, at Rose's urging. That had been when he learned her full name.

Lucy frowned. "I don't want to spend my last trip back home from Hogwarts listening to the insane. I'm off to find Will." Lucy and Will were both planning to become Hit Wizards, while Dom was off to work with dragons in Romania with their Uncle Charlie.

It seemed that their family members were all going into dangerous, bloody, or at least prominent professions. There were no bartenders and such in the family. The adults spoke for themselves, while Teddy was an Auror, Vic was a Cursebreaker, Molly was a Diplomat in International Magical Cooperations, and now Dom was going to be a dragonologist while Lucy was off for Hit Wizard training – and there was a reason St. Mungo's gave Hit Wizards permanent beds with their names on it the moment they finished their training.

Sighing, Al continued, "As I was saying before, with Lily, she just seems too talkative to be a Slytherin."

"I think all the work she's done with the Riddlers is enough to prove that she's a Slytherin," Alice pointed out, casting a _Muffliato _at the door.

"Yeah," Al agreed. According to the first year Slytherins, there were seven old Riddlers members who now took leadership positions, telling them the blood status of several people – after all, when you were graduated and in the Ministry, it wouldn't be hard to look up students, depending on where you worked.

Rose looked out the window, watching their surroundings fly by in a blur of green. Sometimes she wondered how they felt, sitting in this very compartment, only instead of in the time of legacy, in the Golden Age or the Marauder's Era.

She was glad she wasn't Lucy or Dom.

She couldn't imagine leaving Hogwarts.


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is rather long, again. It's not about Legacy, really, but the story isn't just about Legacy; it's about the characters as well. This chapter is particularly devoted to Scorpius as he realizes his feelings for Rose Weasley, and actually, Ron Weasley as well. I've noticed that some people really seem to hate Ron, mostly based off of his character in the movies. They changed a lot about him in the movies, though - giving his brave, loyal line to Hermione, and not explaining the reason for his jealousy. Ron has always been one of my favorite characters, so this is sort of a glass raised to him - seeing him through Scorpius's eyes. **

**I really do hope you enjoy this. Also, I've never actually written anything even remotely romantic before, and I don't exactly have much life experience to speak of, being fourteen years old, so. . . any tips? If you could tell me how I'm doing, I'd really appreciate it. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Alice Longbottom was exhausted. Those bloody O.W.L.s were supposed to ensure that she had a marvelous, bright future – but they were well on their way to ensuring that she had no future at all.

It was worse for James, Fred, Louis, and Rowan. As seventh years, they were preparing to take their N.E.W.T.s at the end of the year, and while the fifth years were seen permanently red-eyed, hair un-combed, unkempt, and rather unpleasant to be around, the seventh years were something to be feared. They had two modes: snappish, don't-breathe-the-wrong-way mode and unresponsive, zombie mode.

Alice didn't know how she hadn't noticed in on the other Weasley cousins the previous years, because it seemed terribly obvious to her now. Maybe it was because she was a fifth year herself.

The Quidditch players had to drag themselves out onto the pitch for practice, straining to keep their eyes open. James Potter was a great captain and had led the Gryffindor team to victory twice already, since his captaincy when Dom Weasley graduated. That year the Beater spot had opened, and Alice had been spectacular at tryouts, outdoing any who got close to beating her out for the spot (no pun intended). However, he was rather a maniac in his determination to win the Cup one last year before he left Hogwarts.

He was usually good at being reasonable, although he was hard on them and held them up to incredibly high standards. There was simply nothing to be done, however, what with the team being comprised entirely of seventh and fifth years.

The school hadn't seen a prank out of James, Louis, Fred, or Rowan the entire year – although Fred kept his easy grin and Louis maintained his suave, up-for-anything charm, signs of stress were visible on them, too.

Christmas break was about to start, though, and all of Legacy was heading over to Andromeda Tonks's home by invitation of Teddy for a Christmas party, pureblood style. (Apparently, Astoria Malfoy had had a very large hand in planning it, and it was turning out to be some sort of extravagant ball. It would be fun, though – they all knew each other well and knew how to have a good time, even if there would be a bunch of random adults at the party as well, including half the Auror office.)

"All right, Alice?" Rose asked, coming up behind her.

Alice glanced up at her. "You look good today," she said in surprise. "Where are the red eyes? The grey hairs? The dead expression of those cracking under pressure?" It was true – Rose looked visibly rejuvenated. Her hair, which had always been rather wild but had started to become pretty sometime during the last year, no longer looked like a rat's nest. Her blue eyes were almost sparkling with good humor, and some color had returned to her face, which had begun to take on the complexion of printer paper.

"It's a great day!" Rose answered, and Alice looked at her warily. Rose was not one of those incessantly cheerful, bubbly people. Did she finally break? Had the pressure finally driven her mad? "You know, sun shining. . . birds chirping. . ."

They both turned to look out the window, where the sky was a solid grey without a spot of sunlight to be seen and not even the owls dared hoot, in case it somehow solidified into ice and killed them.

"Maybe up where you are," Alice said flatly, "but down here with the rest of us, the sun's hidden behind several kilometers' thick clouds."

Rose rolled her eyes. Their height had become somewhat of a running joke between them, because Rose was now 5'9" and Alice was still five feet. It was ridiculous how much they'd grown the summer after fourth year – all of a sudden, she had to crane her neck up to look at Al and Scorpius, who were two to three inches taller than her.

It was all right for Scorpius – he was a Beater! But Al was a _Seeker;_ whatever happened to being small and wiry? "I'm just glad we've got break tomorrow," Rose admitted, leaning back.

Alice grinned. "We've got that party at Andromeda's. Just what we need." She sighed. "Really, I know all the stuff we're learning, but the amounts of homework they're giving us is ridiculous. Are you bringing a date to the party? I know the boys are."

"Of course they are," Rose grinned. "They've been dating for over a year, and Al still can't stop staring when Serena Collins comes around. Unless he's on the Quidditch pitch. Remember the time he rammed into her during that mad chase for the snitch last year and then stayed with her overnight in the hospital wing?"

Alice grinned. "How could I forget? Scorpius had to take him dinner from the kitchens. He's taking Jess Brooks, by the way. She saved him from drinking pumpkin juice that some third year slipped love potion into."

Rose snorted. "The poor female masses. Why is it half of the are obsessed with our best mates?"

"Because we're insanely handsome," a new voice said. Scorpius dropped into an armchair, grinning, and Al sprawled across the couch as they soaked in the warmth from the fireplace. "Talking about us, I see. Anything you want to confess?" He waggled his eyebrows dramatically. "Rose? Alice?"

Alice took a sip of her butterbeer; they kept a stash in their dormitories. "I'm madly in love with you, Scorpius. Marry me."

"Sorry," he grinned. "Wouldn't want to disappoint – what was it? Oh, yes, the 'poor female masses.' I'm a Gryffindor, after all. Noble as Merlin."

"Has pre-break excitement taken you over too?" Alice asked with a sigh. She shook her head at Al. "Rose has been acting scarily cheerful." She reached for her butterbeer before frowning and looking around. "Where did my butterbeer go?"

Rose grinned unapologetically. "Drank it," she told Alice, giving her the empty bottle. "Mine was finished."

Alice scowled and threw the bottle at Rose, who caught it easily. "I'm a Chaser, Alice. Next time, try hexing me."

The four grinned to themselves, pulling out last minute homework assignments that they needed to get done, but for once, it wasn't an ordeal threatening to turn their hair grey.

* * *

Scorpius leaned against the wall, waiting for Al and Serena to show up with his date. He was early to the celebration, and Serena was bringing Jess, who was staying at her house for Christmas.

Currently, his only company was Mr. Weasley – Ron, that was, not any of the dozens of other Mr. Weasleys Scorpius knew. Apparently Fred had charmed Hugo's dress robes to attack him when he visited the previous day, and Rose and Hermione were attempting to save him.

"How is Hogwarts?" Ron asked him. He had warmed up to Scorpius over the years, although Hermione was generally the one who showed affection towards him, and Scorpius was going home with Rose's family that night.

"Bloody awful," Scorpius said truthfully, kicking at the floor. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down. "It's as if all the teachers have turned into Trelawney. All they ever do is harp about how, I dunno, Gamp's Fifth Law of Elemental Transfiguration is worded differently or something . . . although, none of them have ever told me my inner eye lacks true vision. . ."

He expected Ron Weasley to chide him – that seemed to be all adults did these days. To his surprise, however, Ron laughed. "That woman could drive a saint to madness. Did you know Hermione walked out of her class?"

He did, actually. But Ron didn't need to know that. "I don't blame her," Scorpius grumbled. "I told her I'd be sure to get inner-eye glasses, and she took five points off of Gryffindor."

Ron grinned, and Scorpius was struck by how laid back Rose's father was. He'd never really gotten to speak with him alone before. "Am I interrupting anything?" a voice asked, and Scorpius turned to the door.

Jess Brooks stood there wearing crystalline blue dress robes, and Scorpius found that shade of blue to be one of the loveliest things he'd ever seen. It struck him as very familiar for some reason. His favorite color had always been blue, anyway. Well, when he was younger it had been green, but what sort of Gryffindor would he be if it remained that way?

"You look nice," Scorpius told her, grinning charmingly.

Jess grinned back. "You too," she returned, and Scorpius nodded at Al and Serena.

"Looking good, Collins," he grinned, and she raised her glass to him.

"Come on," Al urged him, "everyone's already here. Except Rose and Hugo, that is." Scorpius frowned in surprise – he hadn't noticed everyone else's arrival. They met with the other Legacy members and their various dates, catching up.

"How's Romania been, Dom?" Scorpius asked her.

"Great!" Her eyes lit up. "Just yesterday, I nearly got burned to a crisp. Would've died if it weren't for him." She jerked her head at the tall, dark-haired guy beside her.

"Adrian Bradley," the guy introduced himself, shaking Scorpius's hand. "The girl is suicidal, did you know? She seems to have a penchant for breaking rules."

"I was _bending _them," Dom insisted, winking at Scorpius. "Besides, Adrian would be sans one head if it weren't for my suicidal tendencies."

"Scorpius!" another voice came from behind him, and he turned to grin at Rose. She was bent over, gasping, her wild curls all over the place and her translucent blue eyes bright. Hugo was talking to Lily behind her, and Scorpius caught the edges of a bruise across his jaw.

"Is that a sleeve mark?" he asked in amusement, tracing a finger along her cheekbone.

Rose nodded glumly. "Hugo's dress robes _really_ liked slapping people across the face. I'm going to have a word with Madam Malkin's about their dress robes' violent natures. Oh, hello, Jess. How've you been?"

"Wonderful," Jess answered with a smile. "The party's great; I'm actually considering leaving my post."

"Your post?" Rose asked, cocking a brow.

"I'm Scorpius's knight in shining armor. He's awfully defenseless against those vicious girls and their daunting love potions."

"Hey!" he protested. "That hurts. Really."

Rose snickered. "It's nice to see who the Gryffindor in this friendship is," she commented dryly, earning herself a kick to the shins from Scorpius. She scowled at him. "Noble, my arse. You should have been a Slytherin."

"Take that back at once!" Scorpius ordered in outrage, whipping out his wand.

Jess shook her head mock-disapprovingly at him. "Breaking the law, now, are we? Doing magic outside of school – I can't believe this."

He exchanged a grin with Rose. "I would never dream of breaking the law or doing magic outside of school," he declared, tugging a strand of Jess's hair playfully. She had charmed it into perfect curls, but he found he liked the untamable sort better.

_Kind of like Rose's, _he mused. _Wait – what? _Scorpius froze, and two pairs of eyes turned on him curiously – one pair grey, and the other a crystalline blue. The same color of Jess's dress robes. The same color he'd thought was his favorite. _Oh, hell no. _

He'd obviously had too much firewhiskey. He set his glass down rapidly and hastily gave an excuse, nearly running away from a bewildered Jess and Rose.

As he made his way outside, he passed Lucy and Will Raven. "Scorpius," Lucy called, waving him over. "Good to see you again. Merlin, you're tall. Everyone's grown so much – I just caught James snogging Cecy Pryce in the hallway."

"The O.W.L.s are killing me," he murmured absently. _Listen to me, Scorpius Malfoy. You do not fancy Rose Weasley. She's one of your best mates! Besides, you only noticed this today. It's not like it really means anything; so she's pretty. You think all your friends are pretty. Al's pretty. Wait, no – never mind. I'll just pretend I never said that. Oh, Merlin, I'm going crazy. . . _

"Shut up," he snapped at himself, irritated at his thoughts, and Lucy arched her eyebrows.

"You Gryffindors. So polite. It's been great talking to you after a year and a half." Will and Lucy walked off.

Several seconds late, Scorpius registered the conversation and shouted, "I was talking to myself!"

Lucy gave him a strange look and continued to walk away, and several guests turned to stare at Scorpius. Realizing how that had sounded, he raked a hand through his hair. "Oh, Merlin," he groaned. "This is not my day."

A voice chuckled, and Scorpius turned again to find Harry Potter and Ron Weasley standing there with drinks in their hands. "Would you like one?" Ron asked, handing Scorpius a firewhiskey. "You look like you could use it. Just don't tell Hermione or Ginny."

Scorpius shook his head so fast he felt like it would fall off. "I think I've had too much of that stuff. I'm going mad."

Harry laughed. "We've all been there. You should've seen my fifth year. It was absolutely mental."

"Not as mental as our seventh," Ron snorted. "Just you wait, Scorpius, you'll be sobbing into your essays before the year is out."

Scorpius, who had seen their fifth and seventh years, thought very privately that they had no idea what he was talking about. For all the horrible things they'd faced, neither of them had ever suffered through a matter such as fancying one's best mate.

Well, except Ron, he supposed, but Hermione fancied him back! And Rose definitely did not think of Scorpius that way, he knew for a fact. He probably didn't fancy Rose anyway. Really, she was _Rose. _So what if she was a brilliant flyer and was incredibly funny at times and had an endearingly short temper and had dueled hordes of Slytherins with him and had once knocked Miles Corney out with a single punch for making fun of Scorpius's name, and had gotten the house-elves in the kitchens to spoil him rotten on his birthday, and had taught him how to swear in French before he ever went to France on holiday, and had somehow convinced Severus Snape to pay a visit to the Fat Lady's portrait in their first year so Scorpius could see another example of someone with a worse name than him – "I'd take Scorpius over Snivellus any day, wouldn't you?" – and she'd even once –

"Are you all right?" Ron Weasley broke into Scorpius's thoughts, and his face paled in horror.

"Oh, no," Scorpius breathed, sounding sick to his stomach. Of course he fancied Rose! Who wouldn't fancy Rose? She was bloody amazing! "Excuse me," he said to Harry and Ron Weasley. "I'm going to go kill myself."

Before either of them could say a word, he had run off.

* * *

"Let's play a game of wizard's chess, Scorpius," Ron invited the next day. So they sat beside the window and were silent for a while, not speaking except to order the pieces about. Scorpius had just lost his knight to the black rook when Ron spoke.

"You fancy Rose, don't you?"

Scorpius froze, eyes widened in horror. He looked out the window uncomfortably. It was evening, but the sky had already gone dark, and the snow glittered under the faint sheen of starlight. He glanced back at Ron, who was looking back at him unwaveringly with translucent blue eyes – Rose's eyes.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked finally, and his voice didn't have any of the usual confidence, charm, and humor.

"Not at all," Ron answered with a faint smile. "I don't think even Hermione has guessed, and she usually notices everything. And I'm not the most observant with that sort of thing, but. . . I know what it's like, you know? Fancying one of your closest friends, and not for easy reasons like her looks, or maybe a simple aspect of her personality. Those are easy to brush off. But here – it's also her actions, isn't it? Things she'd done or said before, and you've felt this way for a while, but you've only just noticed it."

Scorpius looked at Ron with something like amazement. Hermione had once accused him of having the emotional range of a teaspoon, but that wasn't entirely true. Either that, or somewhere in his adolescent years, Ron Weasley had grown up.

_And it only took a war to do it_, Scorpius thought humorlessly. "That's exactly what it's like," he admitted, moving a rook to support his white bishop. Ron's eyes swept over the board analytically.

"She feels the same way about you, you know," Ron told him. "I know her well, and she may not know it, but she does. Give it time."

Again, Scorpius looked at him in awe. "Shouldn't you be warning me away from your daughter?"

Ron laughed. "I'd rather it be you than anyone else," he told him truthfully. "At least I know you, and I know you're a decent wizard, and I know how close you two are already. Besides, it's easy to see that you care a lot about her."

Scorpius looked down again, studying the board, and Ron frowned. "You could be really good at this, you know. You think the right way. See. . ."

And it became a routine for them. By the end of that week, when his father came for him, Scorpius was a lot better at wizard's chess, and the day of awkwardness around Rose had been forgotten, as he was acting normal again.

"Well," his father said when they arrived back at the manor. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah," he said, "a lot. I played wizard's chess with Ron every evening, and –"

His father snorted. "Please don't tell me you _like _the Weasel."

"Don't call him that," Scorpius snorted. He faced his father. "I like Ron. Ever since your school years, you've seen him as the stupidest of the three, or just an unimportant sidekick who could be replaced with anyone, but it isn't true. He's incredibly intelligent, even if he isn't particularly book smart – he's an incredible strategist, which you can't deny once you've seen him play wizard's chess. He's more observant than anyone gives him credit for, too. And he's good under pressure – he's an Auror, after all. Don't underestimate him, Dad. He's a great wizard."

Scorpius knew it wasn't just his dad. He'd been through the pensieve, after all, and he knew Ron Weasley had his flaws, but he was also someone Scorpius admired. He acted like a horrible jerk out of jealousy, sometimes – but it was one flaw, and it wasn't irrational.

He'd once told Harry Potter, "Everyone expects me to do as well as they others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first." And what about his good qualities? Even when he was young, Ron had had admirable characteristics. Everyone always saw Hermione as the collected one, but in the Devil's Snare, it had been Ron who kept his cool:

_"Yes – of course – but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands. _

_"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"_

And at the same age, his self-sacrifice – his _bravery_ – he was a true Gryffindor:

_"Yes. . ." said Ron softly, "it's the only way. . . I've got to be taken."_

_"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted. _

_"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices!"_

Not to mention his loyalty:

_"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, whoever, spoke to Black. _

_"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke. _

He had made mistakes, but didn't everyone? He abandoned Harry in the Forest of Dean at one of his weakest moments, under the influence of the horcrux, which preyed on his flaws, exploiting his drive to prove himself and turning it into jealousy, putting irrational thoughts in his head.

Yes, he had left Harry, but he had returned, and would another person have even bothered to accompany him in the first place? Would they have showed that incredibly loyalty; that Gryffindor bravery?

_"He knew what he was doing when he gave me the Deluminator, didn't he? He – well," Ron's ears turned bright red and he became engrossed in a tuft of grass at his feet, which he prodded with his toe, "he must've known I'd run out on you."_

_"No," Harry corrected. "He must have known you'd always want to come back." _

And later,

_"You've sort of made up for it tonight," said Harry. "Getting the sword. Finishing off the horcrux, saving my life."_

_"That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was," Ron mumbled. _

_"Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was," said Harry. "I've been trying to tell you that for years." _

And it wasn't just that. One of the things that Scorpius liked the most about Ron Weasley was not those other qualities that were so admirable, so characteristic of the House of the Brave, but his humor. It was so relatable – Ron Weasley often said things that were simply, utterly uproarious:

_"Let us ask Potter how we would tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost." _

_The whole class looked around at Harry, who hastily tried to recall what Dumbledore had told him the night they had gone to visit Slughorn. "Er – well – ghosts are transparent – " he said. _

_"Oh, very good," interrupted Snape, his lip curling. "Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. 'Ghosts are transparent.'"_

_Pansy Parkinson let out a high-pitched giggle. Several other people were smirking. Harry took a deep breath and continued calmly, though his insides were boiling. "Yeah, ghosts are transparent, but Inferi are dead bodies, aren't they? So they'd be solid –"_

_"A five-year-old could have told us as much," sneered Snape. "The Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard's spells. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard's bidding. A ghost, as I trust you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon earth, and of course, as Potter so wisely tells us, transparent."_

_"Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we're trying to tell them apart!" said Ron. "When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we're going to be having a look to see if its solid, aren't we, we're not going to be asking, 'Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?'"_

How could you not like that? "Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?" It was bloody hilarious!

"Scorpius –" Draco Malfoy broke into his son's thoughts.

"Don't," Scorpius said softly. "I had the courage to be like Ron Weasley, I'd be proud. He's admirable, Dad, whatever you may think – and yet people often look down on him without knowing the whole story behind his character. You cannot judge a person like that."

He would know about being judged; having expectations. If anyone would understand Legacy, it would be Ron Weasley, Scorpius felt. Scorpius met his father's typical Black family eyes. Sirius Black had had those eyes. . . he was another person Scorpius admired.

"What is it?" he demanded defiantly, aware that his father was staring at him. He straightened and was surprised to note that at some point, he had grown taller than his father. Lifting his chin, he kept all the ideals of Legacy firmly in his mind. He was not going to back down on this point – he would not take back any of what he'd said.

Shockingly, Draco Malfoy smiled. "I was just thinking of how much you've grown," he told his son.

The clock chimed from behind them, and both Malfoys turned to find Astoria Malfoy smiling at them as the bell rang twelve times.

"Happy New Year," she said.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, I had one version of this that I wrote after reading this really long new-gen fic, and it completely changed how I did this chapter. So basically the same thing happens, but I've updated Al and Scorpius's talk about girls, and naturally, Rose, into a version that makes more sense to me. **

**The part where Lily realizes that the Riddlers are far too Slytherin to let things lie at the regular, we'll-just-duel-in-the-hallways-like-usual frame of mind is the same. I'm actually quite excited, because this is the segue way into the dangerous, Legacy/Riddlers conflict confrontation I'm planning. :D Please, tell me what you think! Also, can you tell where I'm going with this? Is it predictable?**

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"Al!" called a voice, and he and Scorpius turned to see Raphael Cardell, a tall, good-looking Ravenclaw in their year who had almost as many fangirls as Al and Scorpius themselves, grinning at them.

"Can I help you with something?" Al asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Listen, mate – help me out. I really like your cousin, and I want to ask her out, so I was wondering if you could put in a good word for me?" Raphael looked a little sheepish as he added, "I mean, usually I wouldn't need it, but she's a Weasley – your girls are in a league of their own." Very true - not only were they terrifying themselves, but they had all of Legacy to back them up. They still remembered the time someone made Alice - yes, _Alice - _cry during second year and was promptly threatened by Dom before getting frightened by a horde of Slytherins, courtesy of Lucy and her friends, and then hexed to oblivion by Rose, Scorpius, and Al, before James, Fred, and Louis got their revenge in a very Marauder-esque way. Finally, Alice stopped being sad and got angry instead, and now Timmy Sykes was too terrified to look any of them in the eye.

Al's other eyebrow came up to meet the first arched one. "Sorry?"

Raphael raked a hand through his hair and gave them a slightly apologetic grin – he could have taken it off Scorpius or Al's face; was it any wonder they broke hearts, looking like that? Not to be arrogant or anything.

"I want to ask your insanely gorgeous cousin out," Raphael repeated.

Scorpius laughed a little. "Which one?" he asked. It was true – good looks just seemed to run in their generation of the family. It wasn't that, really - I people just couldn't help but be drawn to them. Legacy had sparked something in them that made them almost shine with how promising their futures were. They were confident, charismatic, and most of all, they had the kind of closeness that was a privilege to witness. Not that their absolutely stunning good looks didn't help.

"Rose," Raphael said, and Scorpius immediately stiffened, snapping out of his inner monologue of the family's physical attractiveness.

Scorpius was a good actor. They all were, after all, out of necessity and from years of practice. So his expression gave nothing away as he cocked his head and drawled, "_Our _Rose?"

It was a stupid question, but he wanted Raphael to repeat himself – he had to be very clear about this. Not recognizing the danger, Cardell nodded. "Yeah, Rose Weasley – can you blame me, mate?"

_Yes. _"Half the guys in our year are after her," Raphael continued. How had he gotten sorted into Ravenclaw again?

Scorpius's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and Al, who knew him as well as he knew himself, turned to Raphael and said, "I can't help you, mate. No offense, but I don't think Rose is interested in you."

Raphael's eyes showed his disappointment. "Well," he joked, "I've never had anyone say _that_ to me before." He sighed. "Do you think I could still ask?"

"No," Scorpius said firmly. "I really don't."

He caught the look Al gave him and tilted his head. _Later. _Raphael didn't notice anything and said instead, "Well, thanks, I suppose. I'll see you around." He turned and walked away, and as soon as he rounded the corner, Al stared hard at Scorpius.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"He's a player," Scorpius lied smoothly. "You know how many girls are after him. I'm not going to let him do that to Rose. We look after our own."

Al rolled his eyes. "You're really going to try this with me? _Me?_"

Scorpius looked at him strangely. "What?"

"Nice try," Al snapped, losing his patience. "I know you're lying. By that way, 'you know how many girls are after him' is not a good argument, considering who we are. Raphael Cardell is a perfect gentleman, and you know it. He's as respectful of girls as we are."

Scorpius gave him a doubtful look. "You once made Marie Gerald cry."

Al looked irritated. "Well, she asked me out _in front of my girlfriend. _Like I'd ever go out with anyone who isn't Serena."

Scorpius smirked. "And so the candle falls to me. Or whatever that saying was."

"Pretty sure it's 'mantle,'" Al mused thoughtfully, "but that's not the point."

Scorpius sighed. "Al, how do you feel when Serena's around?"

Al gave him a shrewd look. "Kind of tingly," he admitted. "Like the feeling you get before a Quidditch game. A mixture of anticipation and nerves and just a sort of warm comfort. Don't you dare repeat a word of this to anyone, but I bloody adore that girl."

Scorpius swallowed. "Well," he said slowly, "that's how I feel when I'm around Rose. I mean, I've always kind of gotten more cheerful as she approached, but now that I've realized I fancy her like mad, it's gotten worse – because I'm _aware _of it, you know."

Al didn't look very surprised. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "I think you'd make a good couple."

Scorpius choked on air. "What?" he demanded. "No! You're supposed to rationalize this and talk me out of it. You don't even seem _surprised_. Did you see this coming?"

"Nah." Al waved a hand. "But really, why is it a big deal? So you fancy a girl. Doesn't everyone?"

Scorpius stared at him. "But it's not just some girl! It's _Rose_! She's my best mate, and I know she doesn't feel the same way, and this could ruin everything. Also, of all the girls I could possibly feel this way about, it has to be someone I can't argue myself into not liking?"

Al looked at him in amusement. "Honestly, I think she doesn't _realize _she feels the same way. But she does things for you she wouldn't do for anyone else. I mean, yes, she's really close to me and Alice, and she's given us both meaningful things, but she never backs down, you know? She backs down for you – swallows her pride, and all that. Do you remember the time she took detention with Filch for you because Dennis Jordan told you the previous year that he was sure you'd make Beater next year and wanted to give you some tips to make sure Gryffindor's reign didn't end? And he said it might be unfair, but he thought you were Gryffindor's best chance, so he gave you tips and said if you showed up, he'd mention it to Dom, because while she wouldn't be biased during tryouts, if it came down to dedication, she's know she could count on you? Rose knew how much it meant to you and took the blame for you and then, instead of confessing after that first detention, finished off the punishment for a whole month."

"She would have done that for you, too," Scorpius pointed out.

"For the first detention," Al conceded. "But for the rest of the month? She would have admitted why she did it to McGonagall and let you take care of the rest of it; it wouldn't matter, we'd have already gone to the practice."

"I–" Scorpius broke off miserably. "Well, she's still absolutely amazing, which means I can't ignore this, which means everything will be weird. And why would she possibly like me? We're best mates! Just because I've gone crazy, doesn't mean she's not sane." We'll actually, their sanity was arguable in the first place, but that was beside the point.

Al hit him over the head. "Mate! Did you eat something weird this morning or hit your head or, I dunno, lose your memory?" This was not Scorpius Malfoy, his best mate, prime example of Gryffindor-Legacy-I-don't-do-worried charm. This was his modest, unconfident Hufflepuff twin.

"Well, she's gorgeous –"

"As you've told me at least a hundred times before, so are you –"

"And intelligent –"

"Funny, I seem to recall you being top of the class –"

"And a great Quidditch player –"

"Because it's not like you haven't won us loads of games with your incredible Beating –"

"And she cursed Boris Morris and Miles Corney and left them in that vanishing broom cupboard, sending them to Nova Scotia for two weeks with no recollection of how they got there, all because they landed me in the hospital wing unconscious for three days."

". . . not your best duel," Al admitted. "Why are you freaking out so much?"

Scorpius leaned against the wall. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't care much," he told Al. "I mean, I've never been turned down before. Ever. I know how people react to us; all of us in Legacy. It's just that the kind of friendship we've got is rare and I know it. I need you guys, you know? All of you. And I'm afraid it'll be awkward and put a wedge between us if she has to turn me down. I can't just ask her out, because I know she probably won't say yes."

"Bloody hell," said Rose, coming around the corner in time to catch that last sentence. "Is that the first time you've ever said that?"

Scorpius tensed. "Obviously," he drawled. "I can't believe I, Scorpius Malfoy, even said it _once_." But inwardly he wondered how much she had heard.

Rose seemed to notice something was wrong. "Are you all right? I've never seen you worried about not being able to do something before." She rolled her eyes. "Just ask whoever it is out! What is it you always say? You're rich, tall, famous, a Quidditch player, and sexy as hell. Who could resist you?"

Al snorted. "One moment of doubt and you think it's a good idea to inflate his ego even _more? _A little larger and the Muggles will declare it another planet."

Rose grinned. "Well, I say go for it, Scorp. Anyway, I was looking for Alice. She borrowed my Transfiguration book, and I need it for the essay."

"She'll be at the library," Al answered. Rose nodded and walked off in the opposite direction, Scorpius staring miserably after her.

"See?" he asked despairingly. "She just told me to ask someone else out. I can't do it, Al. I can't lose her."

"Then don't!" Al exclaimed, fed up with the conversation. "Oh, sod off. You can come back when you're my real best mate and not some strangely self-conscious drama queen of a clone."

He turned to walk away, then abruptly spun on his heel and slammed his fist into Scorius's jaw. "Damn!" Scorpius gasped, cupping his jaw gingerly. He could tell it was starting to purple. "What was that for?!"

_Al, mate, if I ever begin to even look like I'm thinking a sappy thought like that, I want you to beat me senseless until my sanity returns, understood? _Al gave Scorpius a blank look. "You'll thank me for it later," he said flatly.

Later that night, Scorpius came to the realization that he didn't need to tell Rose anything, and he didn't need to act any differently around her. He had fancied her for a while before he realized it, and the affectionate, familiar way he acted with her had been normal.

And that weird moment of thinking Rose was too amazing to bother with him – what the hell? Was he, or was he not, Scorpius Malfoy? She didn't have to 'bother' with him; they conversed every day! He made her laugh, he knew her inside and out, and they were close. Rose was amazing, but she was _Rose, _and that didn't change just because he fancied her. She was still the girl he once had an eating contest with that hated lasted for an hour, each refusing to give in, before they both threw up.

_Oh. _He brushed his fingers across the bruise he'd received from Al earlier that day.

"Thanks, Al," he said aloud.

* * *

"Potter," Devienne called as Lily made her way to her dormitory. She looked up to find that the tall seventh year was confidently and elegantly relaxing in an armchair.

He curled a finger towards him, and Lily made her way towards him, jumping the center table like a cat. "Yes?"

He lowered his voice and cast a Muffliato before leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "I've already told Scamander and Wood this," he murmured, "as they came in just a few minutes earlier. But I couldn't help but wonder if you still wanted revenge on your family?"

Lily's eyes widened and she cocked her head. "Revenge that goes further than the dueling, the House Cup, and the Quidditch Cup?"

"_Real_ revenge," Devienne affirmed, still keeping his voice low. "Your family pretends to be good –they think they're better than us; that we're evil. But they don't understand." He stood in a fluid motion and offered Lily his hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Lily grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her up, her curiosity piqued. During her time with the Riddlers, she had faked a lot of duels with Legacy members, and had actually participated in duels with Gryffindors who targeted the wrong people – innocents who had never done anything but be sorted into Slytherin; the sort of people who used to follow Lucy Weasley and Will Raven but now looked to her, Morgan, and Lorcan, despite the fact that they were only third years.

She had never once picked up on their actual plans, and she didn't really know their ideals. There was an upper ring of the Riddlers, a sort of inner circle that were mostly the older kids, but also involved several useful, important younger ones.

For the rest of the Riddlers, they were fighting Gryffindors because they were pretentious scum, and of course, for pureblood elitism. But was that really the motivation behind the actions of those of the upper ring? What plans were they formulating against her family, and why?

Devienne took her to a part of the Slytherin common room she had never seen before. "We're going to challenge Legacy to a mass battle – not random duels in the corridors, but a collected war at night. Do you want this revenge? Or will you shy away from truly fighting them because they are your family?"

"But they aren't," Lily breathed fervently, looking up at Devienne. She shoved her hand through her fair in frustration. "They stopped being my family when they turned their backs on me. I know. . . I know that you don't know if you can trust me, even after all this time. But _I _can't ever trust _them. _Family is supposed to always support you; a place where you are a part of something larger than yourself. I never felt that with them . . . but I feel that here. And I understand that they aren't good people. They aren't evil, but they deserve to know what the other side feels like."

Devienne was watching her through narrowed eyes. "Well," he spoke at length, "I lied, darling. We are not going to have a battle with them in the dead of night. We aren't stupid; they are very much academically capable. What we do have planned is retribution of the Slytherin kind; it is justice that Helga Hufflepuff would deem worthy. We will, as you said, teach them what the other side feels like."

The look in his eyes wasn't hateful, or jealous, or indignant. It was spoken with a calm certainty; as if stating an unavoidable fact; that chilled Lily to the bone. Devienne took an envelope from the inside of his robes and gave it to Lily.

Feeling a sense of dread, she opened it and began to read the letter:

_The Gryffindor Tower is up on the seventh floor. You will find the common room behind the portrait of the Fat Lady, and you will need the password to enter, so you must acquire it from a Gryffindor surreptitiously, without giving yourself away._

_~ The Vengeful Lion_

Lily looked up at Devienne. "What is this?" she demanded.

Devienne looked at her patiently. "We truly are not bad people, Lily," he told her softly. "Yes, I hate Gryffindor House and most of its people, but sometimes you'll find one with the same drive as you. This Gryffindor's name is Andrew Danforth, and he was in Teddy Lupin's year at Hogwarts. He and Lupin were vying for the Keeper position on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team; Lupin got the position and Danforth was made reserve. Danforth made marks that were consistently just under the academically gifted Teddy Lupin, who was top of his class. He was made Prefect and Head Boy in place of Danforth, and Danforth hold a grudge at him for that because Teddy Lupin was the arrogant sort of person who flaunted his name – he kept his hair that ridiculously conspicuous turquoise to show off that his mother was the metamorphmagus Nymphadora Tonks, famous war hero, and his last name is a testament to his father, the famous war hero Remus Lupin. So he joined the Riddlers after he graduated and he was cut from the Auror program, while Teddy Lupin made the cut.

"Those of us in the inner circle – as I know you've observed exists – have a different drive. I have seen Muggle-born witches who are far brighter than purebloods; the Dark Lord Voldemort himself was a half-blood.

"Nor do we care," Devienne continued, keeping his eyes locked on Lily's wide brown gaze, "about werewolves and centaurs and whatnot. What we are really concerned with is the fact that people like James Potter, Teddy Lupin, Rose Weasley, Alice Longbottom, Rowan Wood, Lysander Scamander, and Scorpius Malfoy strut about believing they're better than us because of things our parents did.

"We only mean to show them that it isn't true. They will get what they deserve."

Lily's mouth had dropped open, and she snapped it shut, lowering her gaze to the floor. "That was all I ever really wanted," she admitted. "That they get what they deserve – I don't care about pureblood elitism and all that."

Devienne smiled charmingly at her. "I know you don't," he said softly. "I need you to do something for me, Lily. We've got something special planned, and tomorrow night, anywhere between 3:00 to 4:00 a.m., I need you, Morgan, and Lorcan to sneak into the Gryffindor common room and leave behind a note where that family is sure to see it. I know you're more than capable, so I'm trusting you."

Lily almost smiled. Appealing to her Slytherin ambition – it would have exhausted someone who wasn't a Slytherin; all the manipulation, the careful politics of the House – but it thrilled her. "I won't fail," she promised him, holding his gaze.

Devienne nodded once and retrieved another piece of parchment. As Lily put it away safely, he placed a hand on her back and steered her back into the common room. Lily closed her eyes as he left.

It was time for Legacy to meet.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, guys! Sorry it took me longer than usual to update; I do try to get each new chapter up within two to three days, but I fell really sick (nothing serious, though) on Monday. I've spent most of my time sleeping, actually, thanks to the drowsiness-inducing medications. **

**So, this is the chapter where you finally get to find out what the Riddlers have been planning :D I hope it measures up to any expectations you may have had, because this was a really hard chapter to write. I had to start over twice before I felt like it was all right. **

**Also, thanks so much to those of you who have left reviews! You have _no idea _ how much I absolutely love you. You're like . . . medicine . . . I just realized that could be taken in a lot of different ways. I meant you make me feel better. Or good. Or something like that . . . I'll just shut up now . . . (in my defense, I'm sick. To the point that yesterday, from under my dozen blankets, I asked my sister what year it is. Yes. I really did. I have no memory of this, but she insists it happened.)**

**Tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Alice fought to stay awake. She should have been unable to sleep; she should have been terrified – but all she could manage was a kind of anticipation. This was finally her chance to prove that Legacy had made her better. Sure, they were all top of their class, all envied, all experienced and talented duelists - but for all they had seen in the pensieve, they'd never really experienced it themselves.

Rose let out a loud, and very fake, snore (one, Rose didn't snore, and two, she wasn't stupid enough to fall asleep after Lily's warning via Legacy coin the previous night; as a Slytherin, Devienne was guaranteed to have people watching her in case she decided to warn them personally).

Suppressing a yawn, Alice turned over and felt her eyelids drooping. _Warm. . . sleep. . . Alice! Stay awake! _She opened her eyes furiously, glaring at the ceiling. _Think interesting thoughts. _

She remembered the time the Potters had gone off to the U.S. over the holidays and stayed in some fancy, ridiculously expensive wizarding hotel that treated them like royalty – not that everyone didn't treat them like royalty. On a ridiculous dare courtesy of James, Al had eaten a grilled cheese sandwich every day for breakfast and came back completely obsessed with them. There were worse things to be addicted to, Alice supposed.

James had acquired a penchant for graffiti after seeing the huge roaring lion that spanned an entire building in the downtown area. When he had come back, he, Rowan, Fred, and Louis, who had a surprising amount of artistic talent, had vandalized the entire Slytherin common room (thank the pensieve for showing them how to sneak in) with huge, leaping lions, unflattering commentary about Slytherin House, snakes dying in blazes of fire or being beheaded by the Sword of Gryffindor, and bold scarlet and gold art.

It was absolutely beautiful in Alice's opinion, but Lucy had been furious. She'd spent a month not talking to James until she devised a plan to exact her revenge. That had started that year's Christmastime Prank War.

Alice heard a faint scraping noise and a soft thud, and she gripped her wand, tensed and ready to defend herself. She could do this. She was a Quidditch player and a Legacy member – she had amazing reflexes.

She felt someone approaching and sprang to her feet, wand pointed at them. Squinting, she recognized someone wearing a pair of old Gryffindor robes that needed desperately to be lengthened. Wordlessly, the Riddler put a hand to his lips, his outline blurred – he must have been wearing some sort of disillusionment charm.

He then pointed to someone behind him, and Alice saw in shock that one of his companions had an unconscious Al tied up, his shirt soaked with blood. She felt sick – she knew that curse; it was the sectumsempra. The question was, how did they?

Someone suddenly grabbed her from behind, and that was all she felt before the world faded into nothingness.

* * *

"What does it say?" James demanded, ripping the note out of Lily's hands. She swallowed nervously.

"No idea. You forget this was given to me by a Slytherin – it's charmed so that only someone of this family and of age can open it."

James opened it quickly and scanned the note before paling and rereading it. Frowning, Louis leaned over his shoulder to read, his face slackening almost immediately. "Bloody hell," he whispered.

Fred took one glance at the worried, horrified look on James's face before snatching the letter out of his hands and reading it before passing it to Rowan with his teeth gritted. "I'll kill them," he spat.

"Rowan, go up to the girls' dormitories and find Alice and Rose," James ordered as Louis took the stairs to the boys' dorms three at a time. Dropping the letter, Rowan sprinted up the stairs.

"James," Lily asked in a frightened voice, "what is it?" Her brother looked more serious than he'd ever looked before, and that scared her. And Fred, whose expression always had the faintest bit of humor in it, looked downright murderous.

Lily reached for the letter, but Fred snatched it up. "Before you read it, tell me honestly – did you know what was going to happen? Have the Riddlers convinced you that they're not really that bad?"

Lily frowned. She had seen enough to know that the Riddlers weren't evil. But she didn't like their methods – they were too underhanded. Hugo would have been bolder, challenging Legacy to see who was really the more talented. Lily would have thought long-term, ultimately beating Legacy to their goal – academic proficiency, excellency career-wise, or anything else they both aspired to do. Perhaps she'd have sought to bring to light exactly why Legacy members weren't as noble as they portrayed themselves to be.

Then it registered with her – whatever the Riddlers had done, it must have been bad enough to make Fred suspect her as a traitor.

"Fred," James snapped.

Fred turned to James, his expression unchanging. "Don't be blind just because it's your sister, James!"

At that moment, Rowan and Louis returned and chorused, "They're not here."

As James and Fred swore in unison, Hugo took the letter and began to read, Lily, Roxy, and Xander crowding around him:

_You have been thinking of us as Slytherin House. That is your first mistake. We have not been thinking of you as Gryffindor House. Your second mistake is deadly – you have underestimated us, and for that you will now suffer. Just a suggestion – have a look at the fifth year dormitories. Notice anything missing?_

_– The Riddlers_

_P.S. Funny story – the other day, a Slytherin came up with a memory that had previously been obliviated, although evidently not very well. Further investigation revealed that memories of two other Slytherins had been tampered with. They told us something interesting about the Whomping Willow – and three members of your family. Ring any bells?_

"They found out about that day at the Shrieking Shack," Hugo stated flatly, "and they're using it as blackmail. They've kidnapped Rose, Al, Scorpius, and Alice."

Lily felt a sense of horror. She'd never imagined anything like this would happen. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "When I warned you, I didn't think it would be this serious."

"We're going to search Hogwarts," James growled, "and then we're going to end this thing with the Riddlers. It's gone too far."

As he crumpled the paper up, however, it shivered and snapped up, apparently activated by something – something he'd said, maybe the action of crumpling the paper up?

A shower of gold sparks erupted from the letter, and words formed in the air:

_We considered not telling you at all. We guarantee, you wouldn't have noticed without this letter. But someone wanted to take this further than ruining your lives. That someone suggested we take them away. Some of us want to prove ourselves better than you. Others believe in justice – a recreation of the War; one life on your side for every life you took on ours. Some of us are orphans. Others have had wizarding society hating us since birth. Then there are those of us who want the world to see that you are not perfect – that you can fall. So we will drag this game out a little. See if you can find what you're missing – after all, wasn't the famed Harry Potter asked to do that in the Triwizard Tournament? Have fun playing at being your father, James Potter. Enjoy playing the part of a hero. If you're not fast enough, you may lose what you're looking for forever. And who knows – you could be next?_

They sat there, stunned, staring as the gold words faded away. _You can fall. Lose what you're looking for – forever. You could be next. _

"They're going to kill them," Xander said in horror.

"They're more serious than we'd ever imagined," Fred realized. "This is no longer just a school rivalry. This is an old grudge against our parents, played against us. 'A recreation of the War.'"

"How did they get into Gryffindor Tower?" James demanded, rounding on Lily. He gripped her shoulders urgently. "They've brought the graduated Riddlers into this, Lils. Did you give them the password?"

"No," she promised. "I asked you earlier because Devienne told me I'd need to leave this letter behind. I know an old Gryffindor with a grudge against Teddy is here, so it's not about our parents for everyone – only the ones with convicted or killed Death Eaters for parents. I think they're the ones that pushed the idea of killing Al, Scorpius, Rose, and Alice."

She had told Devienne that she acquired the password by telling a Gryffindor first year that she was Lily _Potter, _and she wanted to see her brother, _James Potter_, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and legend, but didn't know the password. The Riddlers thought that Lily wasn't speaking to her family, but to the public, they were still on good terms. At least, this was their excuse to still meet in public and such. The reason for this, told to the Riddlers with the disgusted curl of her lip, was the family didn't want the world to know anything that was not perfect within the family, and frankly, despite wanting to show their "true colors" to the world, Slytherins were private and secretive by nature and Lily, Morgan, and Lorcan didn't think that knowing they were outcasts in the family was any of the world's business.

James closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again they were alight with the fearsome determination particular to Gryffindors and a dark, terrifying rage on behalf of his family.

"Roxy, get Del Pryce. Rowan, sneak into the Ravenclaw common room and find Cecy." He strode past the others, headed towards the portrait.

"Where are you going?" Rowan called after him.

James didn't looked back. "It's time to call the others back." Dom was in Romania, Lucy and Will were on an assignment in East Ayrshire, Teddy had an Auror mission somewhere in Northern Ireland, Vic had been sent to Egypt for some dangerous problem that had required a team of _six _Cursebreakers, and Molly was off on some top secret Diplomatic service in an unnamed foreign country.

But while all that was very important, Legacy had perfected the art of finding time to sneak off in the dead of night and still be the first one back in the morning, hard at work. And this was something that could not be ignored, something that required _all _of their skills.

Legacy was out for blood, and when they got the four back . . . there would be hell to pay.

* * *

Rose felt like there was a sledgehammer steadily pounding away at her skull. She tried to groan, but only a rasping sort of croak escaped her lips. Unable to move her body, she gently pried her eyes open, wincing as the crust that had formed on her tangled lashes broke.

She looked around. . . and saw nothing. Fighting back panic, Rose tried to move again and succeeded in shifting this time. She struggled to lift her hands – there seemed to be something weighing them down. Searching the ground, she hooked a finger around a heavy metal object. . . a chain?

Wishing desperately that she could see, Rose curled her fingers around the chain and tugged. They didn't give way – and she understood. She was shackled to a wall, and judging from the heaviness of her feet, her ankles were in cuffs as well.

_Legacy coin . . . _she thought vaguely. Lily had warned them to keep their coins hidden on them. Speaking of Lily – was she all right? Were the others all right? Last Rose had seen, Al had been cursed into unconsciousness, brutally beaten and utterly mangled.

With difficulty, Rose lifted her hand to the inside of her robes and retrieved the coin, hiding it in her palm in case someone was watching. Pretending she was searching with her fingers, she traced the Legacy pattern into the coin and waited for it to heat up.

When it did, she opened her mouth to speak, but stiffened when she heard a voice.

"Is she awake yet?" asked someone harshly.

Rose heard a door rattle somewhere nearby and immediately let her eyes slowly fall shut, discreetly slipping the coin up her sleeve. She heard footsteps near her and forced herself not to flinch when fingers brushed her cheek softly before someone slapped her face experimentally.

She let her head fall lazily to her other shoulder. "No," decided the person in front of her. Standing up again, the person walked away, slamming the – cell door? – shut and locking it. "What do you think her reaction will be when she wakes up and discovers she'd blind?"

The other man chuckled, but Rose stiffened, going cold. It couldn't be true. She wasn't blind, was she? Kidnapping her for a scare was one thing, but blinding her? The Riddlers couldn't be willing to go that far.

"They used _sectumsempra _on the Potter kid, and he refused to say anything until he fell unconscious," the first person said. "We won't get anywhere with him. We decided to try the girl next. If that doesn't work, we can always hurt the Malfoy kid next. You know what they say about Malfoys – cowards, the lot of them."

Rose felt a flash of fury at that – they couldn't judge Scorpius based on his father's actions as a child. Besides, exactly what did these people _want? _What had Al refused to tell them; why were they torturing them for it?

After a few raucous laughs, the two men's footsteps faded away, and Rose deemed it safe to whisper. "Are any of you listening?" she whispered, contacting Alice, Al, and Scorpius.

After a moment, Scorpius groaned and said, "Hello? Who is it?"

"Rose," she croaked, hating how raspy her voice sounded.

She heard a sudden movement, as if he'd sat up very fast. "Damn – what happened? Last thing I remember, I was –"

"Can you see?" Rose interrupted.

A pause, and then, "What?" His voice had taken on a very different tone.

"Can you see?" Rose repeated desperately.

"Yeah," Scorpius said quietly. "I'm in a cell, and the walls are stone, but the door has got bars. It's dark, although there seems to be a bit of light coming from somewhere. Every so often I'll get a cold draft of air, but I can't see where it's coming from. I'm chained to the wall like some sort of animal."

Rose felt sick. "The men were in here earlier," she said in a subdued voice, not at all sounding like herself. "And they said – they said I was blind."

A sharp intake of breath, and then, "Are you?" in a soft voice.

Rose said nothing, miserably opening her eyes and seeing nothing. She didn't know what she was expecting – maybe some sympathy, or fluent swearing and anger on her behalf, which would be very characteristic of Scorpius.

Instead, she got: "Well, it's not as if you can't get it back. Don't you dare start feeling sorry for yourself, Rose – the first question I expected to hear from you would be, 'So how are we getting out of this hellhole?' _Not _silence and the miserable revelation that you're blind, as if you're accepting everything that's occurring at the moment.

"We're wizards, Rose, and there are loads of medical advancements. It was recent, and it was no doubt done by magic, so you can get your sight back – provided we get the hell out of here as fast as possible!

"Now stop feeling sad and start thinking of ways to escape, because you're Rose bloody Weasley, and that's what you do! You _don't_ sit around letting others help you out of bad situations, you _don't_ let anything get you down, and when life gives you bloody lemons, you eat them raw and wonder why everyone else isn't doing it! You _don't _say, 'Hmm, life is pretty bad right now, so I think I'll just skip around being optimistic.' You _don't _say, 'Oh, life is so horrible, I'll just sit here wallowing in my self-pity.' And you _sure as hell don't _say, 'Life sucks. I'll just wait out the storm.'

"No, you're the type of person who knows she's in a bad situation and takes it as it is, determined to get out of it without 'making the best of it' or 'accepting that not everything always goes your way' or whatever other inspirational nonsense adults are always spouting. So either you get back to normal and help me escape like the Rose Weasley I know and love, or you can rot in that cell, because apparently, your sight isn't the only thing these idiots knocked out of you!"

He didn't yell, or even sound angry – this was all spat at her in a matter-of-fact, fervent whisper, and it stunned Rose. Scorpius was one of her best mates, and she loved him; she really did – but she thought this was the moment where she _really _started to . . . feel . . . _that way _about him.

She was speechless for a few moments, until she heard him give a testy, "_Well?_"

Rose grinned faintly, despite everything. "I'm not sure where we are, but I do know that there are two men who came to check up on me, and they're willing to torture us for questioning. They want something, and I don't intend to stick around to find out what it is."

Somehow, Scorpius managed to smile.

"_Excellent._"


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm finally better! :D **

**This chapter would've been up earlier, but it wouldn't upload. This one was really complex to write, and it's pretty long, so I hope it lives up to your expectations. (I know, it better, considering it took me four days to write it. I'm sorry.)**

**Review! Tell me what you think! I really appreciate the ones I've been getting :) **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Dom shut her eyes and raked a hand through her hair. She was utterly exhausted. The previous morning, she'd received an owl from James that had said that after years of relative inactivity from the Riddlers, they'd suddenly _kidnapped _Rose, Al, Alice, and Scorpius.

According to James, a thorough search of the castle had led them to make this conclusion: the four weren't at Hogwarts. They weren't at Hogsmeade, either, according to Louis; he had asked the elves to scour the place, and they had complied; they adored the Legacy members for their frequent visits and being the family members of "Mister Harry Potter, sir, who was a great friend to Dobby." An old elf named Winky in particular was ready to do anything they wanted, because surprisingly, it was not Hermione Granger or Harry Potter who had taken care of her after Dobby died, but Ron Weasley, who had said that "Harry and Hermione have got too much on their plates to come around here now, but I know they'd both want you to be all right, and I reckon you've grown on me, right?"

Although it was dangerous, especially with the exhausting nature of their jobs, every Legacy member had Apparated long-distance to Hogwarts that day for an impromptu Legacy meeting. Lily, who had confined herself to the Slytherin Common Room (because it was Saturday, and none of the students had classes), assured them that Alice, Scorpius, Al, and Rose all had their Legacy coins.

Despite their having the coins, none of them had heard a single word from any of the four, so Teddy took charge, as he had in old times: Those of them with jobs within the United Kingdom would search at night, and those of them who were out of the country would keep attempting to contact the four while doing what they could to assist with the search, as well as searching whatever country they were in, just to be safe. The students would go to class normally, and they would have the outward appearance of carrying on with their lives.

Word of what had occurred _could not_ get out. That would lead to questions, and the Riddlers had information that couldn't escape. The majority of them was of age and would go to Azkaban, and those that didn't would be expelled and refused jobs. Their parents' names would help them a little in the job area, and Merlin knew they could pay whatever fines came their way, but the high-tier jobs they wanted – Auror, Hit Wizard, Healer, etc. – wouldn't be possible. It would ruin their lives.

Really, the Riddlers need not have bothered with blackmail; Legacy couldn't have gone to the Ministry anyway. At least they knew how they had smuggled the four out, though – through the Shrieking Shack and into Hogsmeade.

It was now very late on Sunday; technically, Monday, really. Dom had stolen a dragon and scoured Romania when it became clear that the four were not in the U.K. She didn't know about populated places, but she knew they weren't anywhere remote in Romania. Vic had assured them that they weren't in any remote area of Egypt, either.

There was no way to know if the four were in a city, or even a small town. For all they knew, they _could _be in someone's home. Dom had broken into too many solitary houses to count that night. Any home with a hint of dark magic, and she had bypassed the wards and searched it thoroughly. She didn't spend more than five minutes in any house, and she had been at it for about thirty-seven inconsecutive hours – every spare moment she had.

She'd been using potions to stay awake, and at eight o'clock in the morning, just after she had surreptitiously returned, she was about to begin work. She didn't have hours like someone who worked in an office did, and that allowed her a bit of flexibility time-wise.

A sudden searing pain cut through her robes, and Dom yelped and fished out her Legacy coin. "Hello?" came Rose's raspy voice, and Dom's heart leaped.

Forgetting all about her exhaustion, Dom answered eagerly, "Rose? Where are you? Where are the others? Are you all right?"

She heard a barrage of questions come from the others until Alice finally snapped, "Will you all shut up?" Her voice, much like Rose's, was raspy and brittle, but at least she had her attitude.

"How are you?" Teddy asked gently, when everyone was silent.

"Simply marvelous," drawled Scorpius. "Absolutely spiffing."

"Evidently not too bad if you're snapping at us and using sarcasm," Lucy said dryly, echoing Dom's thoughts. Then her voice became concerned. "Really, are you hurt very badly?"

"No," Rose answered without missing a beat, as the cousins listened closely, trying to figure out whether she was lying or not. They were very good at picking out liars, but the four were almost ridiculously skilled at lying undetected.

"Where's Al?" Teddy demanded.

"Right here," Al croaked. Dom frowned. There was something off about him . . .

"Have you got any idea where you are?" Vic asked.

"Sure," Scorpius answered. "We've got a lovely floor-to-ceiling view of our gorgeous surroundings, not to mention several travel brochures, and our captors are urging us to go sightseeing. They've laid out an entire plan for us regarding where we're going to go; I reckon they wanted to ask for suggestions, gain our approval; that sort of thing. I'm sure they also wanted to give us the opportunity to ask you to join us."

He was met with silence, and then, "We haven't got a bloody clue what _country _we're in. They're keeping us locked in cells in some basement somewhere. We know it's cold; I'm ninety percent sure it's snowing outside judging from the drafts we keep getting."

"Thank you, Rose," said Teddy. "We're working on finding you."

"How are they treating you?" Molly asked cautiously.

"Like royalty."

"Shut up, Scorpius. Ignore him; he's in a bad mood," said Alice. "Although I'm not exactly ready to celebrate, either. Er . . . we're not really feeling any love here. Don't take your time rescuing us."

Lucy tsked. "And to think I was planning to go on vacation before I started looking for you."

"That's _enough_," Vic cried in exasperation before a sarcastic banter contest could commence. It was never a good idea to try to let Legacy members attempt to outwit each other in the midst of a crisis. They were extremely, ridiculously competitive, and contests within Legacy, while incredibly amusing, tended to last forever.

"I've got to go," said Dom urgently, "and I suspect you all haven't got much time, either. Hang in there, you four. I'll start hunting again tonight. At least now we know Vic's looking in the wrong place. I doubt it's snowing in Egypt."

"Keep your coins close. We'll contact you whenever we can."

"Don't worry." Dom swore. "Ah, now I have to steal another dragon. Do you know how hard it was the first time?"

Before any of the others could ask, she'd shoved her coin into a pocket and run off. With hasty goodbyes, the others left as well, leaving the four prisoners to collapse out of relief.

"Do you think they could tell Al just gained consciousness?" Rose whispered, fingering the coin.

"I didn't . . . exactly talk . . . very much, did I?" gasped Al, his breathing labored.

Scorpius swore softly. "Al, are you still bleeding?"

"Only . . . in some places," Al spat through gritted teeth as he shifted himself up slightly. "Keep scabbing . . . and breaking . . ."

Alice laughed grimly. "Perfect. Why do you think the others at Hogwarts didn't answer our call?"

"Obviously it was important – I hope they're all right." Rose bit her lip.

Scorpius raised his head at that. "You don't think they'll kidnap some of the others, too?"

"Who knows?" Rose laughed harshly. "They could kill us all. Al, what did they want earlier, when they were questioning you?"

"They wanted," Al gasped, "to know everything . . . everything we've ever done . . . they know we've broken the law . . . know we've all done things that could get us arrested . . . they want retribution . . . but they don't have enough information to get it."

"They want to know our secrets," Alice realized. "They want to know what made us great in the beginning."

"They want to destroy us. Keeping us alive and broken is worse than killing us, and it hasn't got the same consequences." Rose stiffened all of a sudden. "Do you hear that? Footsteps – again – they're coming."

Al shut his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall. "_Joy_," he breathed.

* * *

James had a murderous headache. He was unusually tacit as he made his way down to breakfast with Louis and Fred, and this didn't go unnoticed by them. "Hey," Louis said, waving a hand in front of James's face. "James, stop."

"_What?_" James snapped.

"You've been obsessing," Fred snapped back, "and you need to stop. Now. You think I didn't notice you pacing all night? Mate, you look paler than Snape right now."

James didn't even bother to muster up a _don't insult me_. "How are we supposed to explain their absence to the professors?" he demanded. "They'll believe they skived off for a while. But how long before they start to ask questions?"

"We'll figure it out when the time comes," Louis said tiredly. "It's not as if we haven't done it before."

James rolled his eyes. "It's a bit harder to come up with an explanation for 'Professor, my little brother and his mates were kidnapped' than for 'Professor, I vandalized the Slytherin common room with my cousins.'"

Louis hit him over the head. "Because we haven't been covering up, 'Professor, I just broken about fifty different laws that could land everyone in my generation of the family in Azkaban' for the last decade of our lives, have we, James?"

Fred grinned. "He's got a point. Honestly though, I wish the Riddlers had picked a different time. We haven't gotten the chance to show the cousins that we're illegal animagi!"

The corner of James's mouth tugged up a little. "Fred, we've been illegal animagi since the end of last summer."

"But ever since Teddy graduated, it hasn't been the same. We've always been the middle ones, and we're in our last year now. We'll all have jobs; obligations outside of Legacy. When was the last time all of us were together? Even at Christmas, we weren't able to have a meeting with all of us there. Dom had to go back to Romania with Uncle Charlie, and we haven't seen Lucy's mates since she graduated."

"We saw Will at Andromeda's Christmas party," Louis countered.

Fred snickered. "No, they exchanged brief greetings with us and then went off to greet the rest of the relatives they hadn't seen in ages. And all Will saw of James was the back of his head when he was snogging Pryce in the hallway."

"Excuse me," said Del as she joined the conversation, grinning at James. "I've never kissed James in my life."

James returned the grin appreciatively. "That would be a bit hard to explain to Cecy. 'Honestly, I thought she was you!'"

"The hair, Cap'n," Del laughed, ruffling the dark brown mass. "Didn't you once say your father told you Potters always go for redheads? Your little brother's girlfriend is a redhead, too, isn't she? Besides, would you want to give my sister further incentive to beat us at the next Quidditch game?"

James shuddered. "Don't even joke," he muttered, thinking of the upcoming Gryffindor-Slytherin game. There was a Hufflepuff-Slytherin game scheduled a month after that, which Slytherin was bound to win, so Gryffindor had to beat Slytherin by a good amount, or even if they won the final match, they could lose the cup.

"Oh, no," Del realized. "James, how are we supposed to play without a Seeker? We'll have to find some excuse explaining Al's absence and use our reserve . . ."

"Hugo," sighed James. "Del, how are we supposed to play without both our Beaters, _and _a missing Chaser?"

"James," Del said in horror. "Forget the fact that we're missing more than half of our team. Slytherin's Seeker –"

"–is my sister," James finished glumly. "Lily Potter, who inherited all of her father's skill. Not to mention she's built small, unlike Hugo, who decided to inherit Uncle Ron's height."

"Al grew ridiculously tall, too, and he's a brilliant Seeker. Besides, it's not like you gave Hugo the spot without making sure he was the best out there first. He passed tryouts."

"They're missing and he's worried about what it'll do to Gryffindor's Quidditch chances?" Louis demanded to Fred.

Fred shrugged. "Quidditch is important. We can't lose to _Slytherin. _Besides, we were the ones who told him to get his mind off the Riddlers."

They approached the Gryffindor table and took seats, nodding at Rowan, who was already seated. She took one look at James, who was glaring at his little sister, and guessed, "Quidditch?"

Del nodded, putting her head in her hands. "I know it seems a little callous, but it seems easier to worry about what their absence will do to our chances of winning the Cup as opposed to what their absence will do to them."

Rowan glanced at her little sister, who was conversing easily with a fellow Slytherin who seemed to be a Riddler – at first glance, it would seem like a discussion between friends, but to one who had observed the proceedings of Slytherin debates and the diplomatic, intricate policies that defined every word they uttered, the tense set of Morgan's shoulders and the deceptively alluring smile on her companion's face told the story of an argument that could prove deadly.

She worried about them, sometimes. Truly, she did.

A sharp sound snapped Rowan out of her thoughts, and she spun to her left, heart beating erratically. "Merlin, Roxy! You nearly scared my robes off of me!" She bent down to pick up the fork Roxy had dropped, and when she straightened again, the girl hadn't moved an inch.

Hugo and Xander had stiffened beside her, and they were all staring, mouths agape slightly, at something behind Rowan. She spared a glance at her fellow seventh years, who didn't appear to have noticed anything amiss.

Turning back to Roxanne, Rowan frowned. "What–"

"Morning, all," a smooth, charming voice interrupted, sliding into the seat beside her. Rowan stiffened – Hugo, Roxy, and Xander still looked slightly shocked, and the faces of the others had slackened considerably.

Rowan had only heard a voice that charismatic come from two kinds of people in her life – those of Legacy, and those of Slytherin. She turned in her seat and took in the four new additions to their table.

They were eating as if nothing had happened, apparently oblivious to the tension surrounding them. Rowan focused on the one who had spoken.

"Scorpius," she said.

* * *

"We could give you your sight back," coaxed the lady in front of her. She talked as if she were speaking to a small child, in a placating, terrifying, utterly mad voice. She was reminding Rose horribly of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Shockingly, I lack the desire to lay eyes upon your faces," Rose drawled. "If you lot look anything like you sound, it would be a thoroughly scarring and unpleasant experience that I'd prefer to spare myself."

"What was it you wanted to be . . . an Auror? Like your father?" demanded the pseudo-Bellatrix. "Something dangerous, no doubt – it's a pity they don't take the blind. I'm afraid Miss Perfect Rose Ginevra Weasley would fail the physical examinations and be written off as unqualified. What would that feel like, I wonder? For the first time in your disgustingly pretentious life, to fail?"

"I imagine it would give me a brief glimpse of what yours must be like," Rose answered, playing with her shackles. When the woman first walked in, she had shot some sort of spell at Rose's jaw that had hurt horribly. A minute after the pain had faded, Rose spat blood into her hand and felt a pointed canine in the middle of it. She hadn't been hurt physically after that.

"My life," said pseudo-Bellatrix, "is molded from foundations laid by your parents. From the moment I was born, I was considered scum, an outcast of wizarding society. From the moment you were born, you were raised on an altar, viewed as the most promising of the next generation, to lead our world into an era of light following the days of Voldemort's Death Eaters; to continue the legacy your parents, legends in their right, left behind in that war."

The word _legacy_ echoed painfully within Rose's head. The woman was painting a heroic picture, an aggrandizing account of their ideals and dreams. "Your life is whatever you make it to be," Rose countered, feeling like they were speaking in inspirational sayings.

She could feel pseudo-Bellatrix sneering at her, so for some unfathomable reason, she tried to explain herself to the woman. "None of us want to continue the legacy of our parents," Rose said softly. "We want to create a legacy of our own."

When the woman spoke again, it wasn't in a condescending tone of voice. It was utterly emotionless, and Rose wondered if that meant the woman was feeling everything at once or nothing at all.

She simply said, "Ah."

This was not the interrogation Rose expected.

* * *

Al drew in a ragged breath and raised his head to look at the man in front of him. He hadn't bothered to hide his appearance (and thus, his identity, because Al would make sure Teddy could look this man up by description).

"I don't think you understand," Al told the man frankly. "See, by kidnapping me, you've given me everything I ever wanted. The chance to prove myself. And I'll sit here and tell you all about the inner workings of my mind, as far as I know, anyway. I'll tell you why I want what I want, and how my family has affected my ambitions. I'll spout poetic crap that means absolutely nothing to anyone who isn't me, and you can sit there and wonder why I'm not giving you the information that you want.

"If we have done anything illegal, it is our business. Not yours. If there is one thing that means more to me than myself, it's my family, because they made me what I am. Without them, I'd have died a long time ago, suffocated by expectation. Also, as you continue to torture me and demand to be regaled with tales of our adventures, I'd like to add that stoically shouting 'Never!' isn't quite as liberating as I thought it would be."

Al was out of breath after his speech, and he didn't hesitate to hyperventilate in front of the man, who was looking nonplussed. Perversely, Al was enjoying himself, although he could do without the Cruciatus. Minutes before, he hadn't shown a shred of bravery – he would have been crying for the pain to end, but he couldn't speak.

But after, he'd managed to regain his mind. He had attempted to explain to this man why torturing him was not going to work, not because Al was a hero, and definitely not because Al was brave or selfless.

Really, it was because Al was selfish, and he thought he would much rather die and leave his family behind than be left behind and have his family die.

* * *

Scorpius flinched as his cell door slammed shut. The sound resonated, piercing his skull and intensifying his headache. Torture was really nothing like he'd expected. He'd once read about a girl who was going through torture who refused to give her torturers the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

He didn't make a sound, either, but really, it wasn't out of choice. He seemed to have lost the ability to scream, or speak, or _think. _ He had contacted Al, but he had been utterly silent. Scorpius wondered if it was because he couldn't speak, or if he had nothing to say.

He had contacted Rose, too. Apparently, her torturer hadn't even attempted to hurt her. Rose was under the impression that her torture was of the mental variety. They wanted her to feel despair, so that she would give in completely. They thought she would do anything to get her sight, and in turn, her hope back.

They probably would have succeeded in making Rose completely depressed, she confessed. But then she thought of Scorpius shaking his head and repeating his words from earlier: _don't you dare start feeling sorry for yourself, Rose. _

So she didn't. At least, according to her mother, there were a load of starving children about the world who had never had grilled cheese, which would no doubt horrify Al, so they were luckier than quite a lot of people, just from that.

And there were plenty of blind people, she had said, that she didn't know personally, but she was sure they were wonderful people with lovely lives and danger-fraught vocations.

Leave it to Rose, thought Scorpius, to make him smile.

* * *

Alice remembered a few flashes of pain before she succumbed to oblivion. She didn't know how long she spent like that, but after a while, she was in a strange half-asleep state where she wasn't awake, but she had conscious thought.

She really hoped she wasn't dead. She had quite a bit left to do with her life, and dying would put a rather unfortunate hold on it all that she wasn't sure she could overcome, Legacy or otherwise.

She also really hoped she wouldn't end up insane in St. Mungo's like her grandmother and namesake, Alice Longbottom I. It would be all that fair to her father, to have two Alices that ended up in St. Mungo's because they were tortured by evil women who wanted to hurt them.

She thought privately that her father hadn't named her "Alice" as a tribute to his mother, but rather because he wanted a second chance with an Alice Longbottom. He wanted an Alice that would grow old and be happy and live and love and do whatever it was that Alices who weren't driven insane by torture were supposed to do.

Alice wished he had placed his faith in someone else, because she couldn't be his second chance. Whether she was sane or not by the end of this, she would never be exactly what he wanted. She had once said, "_I want to be my dad when I grow up." _And Louis had answered, "_You'll be better than your dad." _

He was wrong. She wouldn't be better than her dad. But she would be different.

Or maybe now she would be just dead. Or just insane. And that wasn't even different, because Alice Longbottom I had done it first. Obviously, life was not at all concerned with being fair.

It wasn't okay. But at least there three other people in the world that could attest to just how incredibly interesting she was. It was just unfortunate that they were just as likely as she to end up dead.

* * *

"So while I really wish we'd been able to answer the summons this morning, we were a bit preoccupied with the doppelgängers of the Golden Quartet!" finished James, breathing heavily after his rant.

Teddy was silent on the other end. "Let me get this perfectly straight," he said. "This morning at breakfast, four look-alikes showed up and began acting like nothing happened, and you actually thought it might be them for a few brief, blissful moments."

"And then," Vic chimed in, "they went to class, commenced absolute _mayhem_, and nearly got them expelled?"

"Actually," Hugo said, "yeah. I think the only thing that stopped Professor McGonagall from expelling them was the fact that they seemed to want to be expelled."

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "They don't really care about rules, but they love Hogwarts. They never wanted to be expelled."

"It's scary how incredibly perfect their acting is," Roxy added. "It would have been perfect if it weren't for that mistake in McGonagall's office."

"I suppose you know about it because you snuck in?" Molly asked wryly.

"It was bloody difficult, but yeah," Fred confessed. "Honestly, it would probably have taken us weeks before we noticed anything if it weren't for the fact that they warned us beforehand."

"So that's what they meant when they said, 'We considered not telling you at all. We guarantee, you wouldn't have noticed without this letter,'" Morgan noted.

"So what do you think?" asked Lucy. "Polyjuice?"

"Yes," said Rowan. "I heard the fake Scorpius speak before I saw him, and I didn't recognize the voice. It was a remarkably good impression, and the way he talked covered up the difference in voice, but I'm sure it's an imposter under Polyjuice."

"One of the graduates," Lorcan agreed. "Or four of them, rather. I haven't noticed them drinking out of flasks like with Mad-Eye Moody back in our parents' day, but I'm sure they're managing it somehow."

"They've spent a lot of time studying our behavior," Lily added. "I think the Riddlers have been observing far more closely than we ever realized."

"There are a lot of things about the Riddlers we're only just realizing," Teddy muttered. "All right – Lily, Morgan, and Lorcan – your new job is to figure out the names of the graduates. Compile a list of those in school as well, but only the inner circle, understand?"

"And us?" asked Louis.

"Research," answered Teddy. "Figure out a way to solve this problem with the imposters. You're going to spend your nights locked in the Room of Requirement, using all of the vast resources we've stocked up on over the years. There's a wealth of knowledge in there – use it."

James exhaled. "We've a lot of work ahead of us," he said grimly.

Teddy was completely serious. "Don't waste time," he warned. Then he sighed. "As for those of us who aren't at Hogwarts, we're going to continue our search. Hopefully we'll come up with something useful."

And so they had a plan. The meeting adjourned, and they got to work.

* * *

"Hey, Scorpius," muttered Rose. Alice and Al were still unconscious.

"Yeah?" Scorpius answered.

She grinned slightly. "I'm not wallowing in the depths of my self-pity," she announced. She held up the tooth, which was now sharp and slender and just long enough to accomplish the job she wanted. She had worked all through the day after the pseudo-Bellatrix woman visited her and through half the night, but she still had a few hours left before there was any danger of their captors paying any of them another visit.

"That's good to know," said Scorpius. "I haven't stopped breathing. Shall we congratulate ourselves?"

"Shut up," Rose said affectionately. "I have good news."

"Hmm?" He arched an eyebrow lazily, observing a rivulet of blood running down his arm. It looked black in the dark.

Rose held up the tooth again, fingering it. In her other hand, she hefted one of the shackles that had previously encircled her wrists. Teeth, it seemed, were longer than they appeared with half of one's gums covering them.

And although these Slytherins seemed to have a vendetta against her family, and did not seem particularly concerned with Muggles and Muggleborns and blood purity, they had not learned some of the more useful things invented by Muggles.

One of these things was the art of lock-picking.

The locks on her shackles were very complex magic-wise. They had layers upon layers of protective charms that kept them clasped. And yet physically, they were no more complex than the simple lock on a bathroom doorknob.

Vandalism wasn't the only thing James learned in America.


	17. Chapter 17

**Lady Cougar-Trombone: If you see chapter seven, when they first introduce Legacy, Lucy's Slytherin friends were always part of Legacy. They duel against the Riddlers, anyway; they don't know about the pensieve of anything. As for the Pryce sisters, I never noticed that they never officially joined Legacy. Thanks for pointing that out; I've put that into this chapter :P**

**DemigodOnFire: Thanks so much! Really, you've made my day :D**

**Also, I've realized this might be a source of confusion, so I'll just clarify it before anyone asks: Al and James are a year apart in age, but James is two school years ahead of Al because Al was born after the school year began, on September 14. Rose was born nearly four months later, on December 29, and Scorpius was born on November 1. Alice, as the youngest of their group, was born the next year. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Louis cast the clock a brief glance before tossing aside the thick volume in his hands and exhaling in frustration. Most students would be waking up in an hour or two, and he had yet to go to sleep.

They had been researching all night, and Louis hadn't found a single thing. The tome he'd just tossed aside was written entirely in runes, and involved a lot of useless history that gave him a headache trying to first translate, and then comprehend.

Louis's gaze dropped to the bookshelf of classical Muggle literature that Molly had left behind from her old Muggle Studies classes. _Romeo and Juliet. _He had read it once; the whole tragedy was based on circumstance and impulsiveness.

He froze suddenly, turning to consider the book he'd cast aside with a slightly shocked expression on his face. The minute hand on the clock moved forward with a click, galvanizing him into motion. Louis grabbed the book and flipped open to a page, scanning the text urgently.

"Parchment," he muttered, grabbing a piece and taking his quill. This . . . this was important. This could lead somewhere helpful. Fifteen minutes later, he had copied three lengths of parchment. He had always been the best at Ancient Runes among the four of them (him, Fred, James, and Rowan), and it served him well now. That was one Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test he would pass.

But now was not the time to think of N.E.W.T.s. Grabbing the parchment, he used colored ink to underline several lines throughout and then stopped at a paragraph. "The legend," he muttered. He circled the paragraph and jumped out of his chair, running a finger along the spines of books as he moved along the shelf, looking for a specific title.

And then he found it. Muttering to himself, Louis flipped through the pages until he found the one he was looking for and paused. ". . . the foundation of many Muggle fairy tales today, the Draught of Living Death will place the drinker under a deathlike slumber . . ."

Like Romeo and Juliet. "This is brilliant!" he exclaimed. "Get over here, you lot; I think I found something!"

They had surrounded him in minutes, and Louis explained his idea to them quickly. James frowned, shoving back and pacing. "But we can't let them be missing–"

"They'll go to the hospital wing," suggested Del.

James shook his head. "They're under the Polyjuice. I think Madam Pomfrey would get a bit suspicious if all of a sudden four sixteen-year-olds start looking like adults that graduated years ago with completely different physical appearances."

"So there are a few kinks in the plan," Del insisted. "It's a good idea, in theory. We just need to work out some of the details."

"In any case, we should get started with the brewing," Cecy advised. "A potion this complicated will be very difficult, and we need to modify it to sustain the outward image the Polyjuice will project. It's very advanced potion-making, which means James shouldn't go anywhere near it – sorry, James, but Potions was the only subject where you didn't get an Outstanding O.W.L. – so I think Fred and I should handle it." She glanced around to see if anyone would object. She was excellent at Potions.

Fred grinned at her. "Why, thank you, Cecy."

Cecy looked thoughtfully at the book Louis had laid on the table. "They're going to rue the day they chose to become Riddlers," she said softly, with a wicked smile on her face.

The others dispersed, and as Fred ran his fingers over certain vials in the potions room, he felt his mouth curl into a smile that mirrored hers.

The first ingredient was belladonna.

* * *

Rose ran her hand along the wall, stifling a scream when her hand brushed across something hairy. _Please don't let that be a spider, please not a spider, anything but a spider, _she chanted in her head.

Her other hand was stretched out in front of her to make sure she didn't bump into anything, and she was moving at a snail's pace, using her ears to make sure nobody caught her. She lowered the hand that was feeling along the wall so as to avoid any additional monstrosities.

It was a _basement. _Of course it had those abominable creatures. Rose found herself hoping that the spiders froze to death.

She felt the wall turn sharply into a corner and stiffened, listening closely. If she could only see . . . hell, if she had her wand with her, this wouldn't be half as bad.

Rose swallowed and turned the corner – and banged right into a set of bars. Her breath hissed out in a harsh exhale, but other than that, there wasn't any noise. _Lovely, _she thought. _I've spent five minutes walking about as many feet to the cell beside mine. _They must have put silencing charms on the cells to make them soundproof, or she would have heard what was going on in adjacent cells.

"Rose?" came Scorpius's voice, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She began stroking up and down the bars, looking for the lock, until she heard chains dragging and his hand closed around hers.

"Here," he whispered, moving her hand to the lock. His voice was coming from above her; he must have stood up. He let go of her hand, and Rose brushed her thumb over the cold lock, feeling for where she should insert the tooth.

Her hand was shaking. It took her nearly fifteen minutes, but she finally felt the lock give, and she pushed the cell door open gently, thankful when it didn't squeak.

"Where are you?" she asked in a low voice, and Scorpius took her hand again.

"Right here," he answered in the same tone.

She swallowed, wondering why she was feeling nervous all of a sudden. _You're worried you'll get caught, _she told herself firmly, ignoring the revelation she'd had when Scorpius yelled at her about giving up. _That's all, understand? You are not going to have a Vic-Teddy moment. This is _Scorpius. _Scorpius Malfoy, your best mate, remember? _

"Sit down," she said, and he complied. She knelt beside him, working on his wrists first. "This will take a while," she apologized, head bent over the shackle.

"It's all right. Don't try to rush," Scorpius advised, sounding nervous. Obviously, it wasn't all right – he was worried about getting caught. "If you try to rush, you'll only end up slowing yourself down. Your hands are shaking."

"I know," she snapped, wishing she was better at it. If it was James, he would have sprung them all out by now. "I just – I can't stop thinking about what'll happen if I don't do this fast enough."

"Think about something else," Scorpius suggested. "Anything else."

She wished he hadn't said that. Now she was thinking about him. _Rose, _she warned herself, _it doesn't mean anything. It's inevitable, really – what sixteen-year-old girl at Hogwarts _hasn't _had a slight crush on Scorpius or Al at one point? And Al's your cousin; you could hardly feel attracted to him. _She felt slightly nauseous at the thought. _Just pretend it doesn't exist, and it'll go away soon. _

"Rose," Scorpius said, "we can't exactly do this at our leisure. You've been staring at that open shackle for about thirty seconds now."

Rose felt her cheeks heat and remembered Dom teasing, "_The Weasley blush. Can't escape it._"

She hastily grabbed the other shackle and began working, feeling her whole body start to shake. She didn't feel good at all, and it wasn't just her proximity to Scorpius. Not that he had any effect on her.

She was not. Affected. By Scorpius.

"Rose," he said again, sounding worried. She felt the clasp give and quickly moved on to his ankles. He laid his hand on her forehead, and she stiffened momentarily before working even more rapidly than before. "You're feverish."

"I'm fine," she muttered, moving on to the last shackle. Her hands were shaking so badly now that she could hardly keep hold of the tooth.

"I don't have a cloak for you. All I'm wearing are my robes," he apologized. Scorpius leaned forward, and she swore as the tooth slipped from her grasp.

She ran her hands across the ground desperately. She needed that tooth. "Hey!" Scorpius caught her hands gently and pressed the tooth back into them. "Merlin, Rose, are you all right?"

She didn't answer, and he sighed. "Sorry. Stupid question."

The shackle burst open, and Rose exhaled in relief and leaned back as Scorpius stood, rubbing his wrists and leaning against the wall for support. "Come on," he said after a moment, offering her his hand. She took it, and he pulled her up.

"Let's go get the others."

Al crouched behind the battered old sofa, watching as pseudo-Bellatrix (at least, he assumed this was the woman Rose had told him about as she picked the locks on his shackles) turned in her sleep.

There were three other Riddlers in the Room, and he and Alice were on their own – Scorpius and Rose had gone to find an exit. "Al," Alice breathed into his ear, almost inaudibly. "There."

She pointed, and his gaze locked on four wands curled in the first of one of the men. He was lying on the couch opposite them. Al frowned, thinking for a moment – and then an idea struck him. It was brilliant. It was mad.

"Alice," he said in a low voice, "remember what we were working on in Quidditch practice last?"

She looked at him as if he were crazy. "What?"

"The Chasers' technique," he said urgently. "Their last drill – they invited the rest of us to adapt it to our positions."

Her face turned slack with realization. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "No, no, no. Al–"

But he was already moving. He sprang to his feet, grabbed the edge of the couch, and flipped through the air, pretending he was rolling on his broom. He landed soundlessly on the carpet a few feet away from the man with their wands.

Turning around, he mouthed, _it works! _ He gave Alice an encouraging smile. _It's just like in Quidditch, _he seemed to be assuring her. Alice took a deep breath, closing her eyes and remembering their last practice.

_"And then you roll, just like that," James finished. "As Chasers, we use this technique every day, but it struck me the other night that if everyone did it this could be brilliant." Actually, as he later confessed to Al, Alice, Scorpius, Rose, and Rowan, he had watched Harry do a roll on his broom to catch the snitch in the pensieve, and he had immediately thought of what the Chasers did and how they could modify it to fit individual roles on the team. _

_"James . . ." Del trailed off. _

_"Right." He looked apologetic. "Del was fighting some Slytherins the other night, and–" _

_"Is she . . .?" interrupted Rose. _

_"Sort of," James answered. He looked to Rowan for help. _

_"Del and Cecy are around us a lot, so they tend to be a target of the Riddlers as well," Rowan explained. "Over the years, they became sort of honorary Legacy members." As James took a look at Del's shoulder, which was bleeding, she added in a low voice, "They both just think that all we do is fight against the Riddlers. They don't know that it's the reason we're top of our classes, or how we learned the real Wizarding War history from it, or about any of the many laws and rules we've broken." _

_"Do they know about the Room of Requirement?" _

_Rowan shook her head. "It's not really something we want to tell the world, you know, even if Cecy is James's girlfriend and we know neither of them will rat us out. If we ever show them the Room of Requirement, we'll just tell them that we needed research, so it gave us a room for research." _

_"Listen," James broke in, returning with Del. "There's something you should watch out for with this move. You need to tuck in one shoulder, while the opposite shoulder pushes out – that's what propels you sideways in a controlled manner. If you leave it to gravity, you won't have control. So if any of you have got hurt shoulders, this isn't for you." _

_"What do we do if they're right on our tail?" Al asked. "Last time, one of the Slytherins was nearly on top of me when I stopped abruptly to avoid collision. How do we get rid of them if we need them to let go so we can roll? Obviously we can't ram into them, because that won't work." _

_"Bite them," Scorpius suggested, grinning. _

Alice opened her eyes. _Tuck in your shoulder. _She was going forward, not sideways this time, so she needed to tuck her head in as well. She peered over the top of the couch, giving Al a nod, and he darted forward, clamped his hand over the man's mouth, and sank his teeth into the man's wrist.

_Bite them. _Scorpius was a genius. Al was a genius. They were both utterly insane.

As the man let out a muffled roar and dropped the wands reflexively, Al stunned him. Alice sprang up from her crouch, grabbed the edge of the couch, and somersaulted over it, rolling to come up beside Al.

He tossed her two wands and she put a full body-bind simultaneously on pseudo-Bellatrix and the third man as Al took care of the fourth. Thank Legacy for teaching them how to duel with both hands. (Obviously, they couldn't cast different spells at the same time, but neither of them would have a problem casting the same spell with two different wands in quick succession, so it _seemed_ like they were casting multiple spells at once).

"_Silencio!" _they chorused, just for good measure. Casting disillusionment charms to conceal the four Riddlers, they left the room at a run.

"Where are you?" Al hissed into his coin. Alice stopped in front of him, breathing hard, listening for approaching Riddlers.

"Right behind you," Scorpius drawled, smirking. Rose had one hand on his shoulder and her other hand against the wall. Alice still couldn't believe she was blind.

"There are more," Rose warned them. "Get ready for a duel. We had to outrun them because we stole two of their wands. There are wards surrounding this house and only three different exits."

"They didn't expect us to know how to put down the wards," Scorpius continued hurriedly. "Right now, we're in the center of the house – not the best place for escape, but the perfect place to defend ourselves in a duel."

He was right – the room they were in had four doors, one in each wall. They could each take a door. They could handle the Riddlers –

"You'll need these, then," Al said, tossing them their wands. Rose caught hers with the reflexes of a Chaser – although she couldn't see, she could sense when something was hurtling towards her face, and it was instinct to catch it.

"I can't duel!"

Rose. She was blind. Swearing, Scorpius grabbed her and led the way out of the house. They could hear footsteps behind them, and the remaining Riddlers caught up to them when they were right in front of an exit.

Several crowded in front of the exit, and several more stood in the doorway so they couldn't go back the way they came. "We'll have to fight," Alice hissed. She glanced back at Rose. "There are seven of them."

"Memorize their faces," Rose hissed back. She let go of Scorpius's shoulder. "I'll cover you. Just make sure they don't hit me."

And then the first spells hit. "_Protego_!" Rose shouted, and she felt several spells bounce off the powerful shield charm. She swore, wishing she could do more.

She felt Scorpius spin on his heel, ducking to avoid a spell, and she yelled, "_Stupefy!" _in the direction from which he'd come.

"Thanks," he said briefly. "_Impedimenta!" _

She may not be at her best, but they had practiced fighting in the dark loads of times. She could use her ears. "_Oppugno!" _she yelled, pointing at the wall. She had felt a bookshelf there when coming in, and she smiled in satisfaction as books started attacking one of the Riddlers.

Ducking under another spell, she screamed, "_Reducto!" _at another one; the Riddler was ganging up on Scorpius with a friend.

"Nice one, Rose," he laughed. "_Stupefy!" _The other Riddler was thrown back, and he landed on the ground with a thud, knocked unconscious.

"_Langlock!_" Another one down, unable to speak.

The one under the books roared, "_Deprimo!_" and the books flew to the side, blasted away.

"_Silencio!_"

And then there was silence, not just from the Riddler who had been silenced, but from everyone. Apparently the duel was over. "Let's–"

Scorpius tackled Rose, and a Killing Curse went over their heads. "_Locomotor Mortis!" _ he yelled.

"_Reducto!" _Alice finished, and there was a last muffled thud.

"Wordless magic," Scorpius explained to Rose. "These Riddlers are actually good duelers."

Rose stood up shakily. "Thanks," she breathed. He'd saved her life.

"She cast the _Avada Kedavra,_" Scorpius said darkly. "They really aren't afraid to kill us."

"Let's tie them up and get out of here," Al suggested. "_Incarcerous." _

_"Incarcerous,_" they echoed.

Alice moved Rose's hand to the left a little. "There."

"_Incarcerous,_" said Rose miserably. She couldn't even fight properly.

When they were all tied up, they left the house quickly. The air was crisp, and there were leaves underfoot. "My eyes!" A bright, blinding light seared their vision as their eyes adjusted to the daylight after having stayed in darkness for so long.

Scorpius, Al, and Alice stood, shielding their faces, but Rose had stiffened. "What is it?" Al asked, noticing as his vision began to clear slightly.

"I see light," she said.

* * *

They had spent several hours figuring out how to modify the potion, but they finally managed to agree that they'd gotten it right. Fred was 95% sure that the potion would work as planned. In theory, it was brilliant.

It had all the regular ingredients – infusion of wormwood, powdered root of asphodel, sloth brain, Sopophorous bean juice, etc. It also had deadly nightshade, hemlock, _and _aconite. It took them quite a bit of time to figure out which poisons and additional sleep-inducing plants to use. Poppy, hellebore, clove, foxglove – there were so many that made sense.

Aconite, or wolfsbane, was the only obvious one. Instead of the traditional blue of that the Draught of Living Death should take on, this potion was more the hue of a crushed blackcurrant. Cecy figured it was the extra valerian root they had added.

The potion's effects slowed the Polyjuice down, so it would only need to be re-administered every three hours, as opposed to every hour. The sleep the potion induced could only be broken by the people who administered the potion, which was very similar to a certain self-inflicted sleeping draught that took a week to brew the antidote to. (The idea was that Madam Pomfrey would identify it as the sleeping draught and believe it was "self-inflicted" because they had been making the potion themselves, and they had caused the accident). However, it gave both Legacy and the Riddlers a time limit: one week.

Pouring the poison carefully into four vials, Fred and Cecy went to find James, Louis, Rowan, and Del. "It's done," said Fred.

Rowan narrowed her eyes at the vials. "You're sure it will work?"

"It's untested," Cecy pointed out, biting her lip. "We don't know for sure. But we went over the theory a hundred times before we began making the potion, and we're fairly certain it should."

"All right," James decided. "Now we have to find a way to get it to them, and come up with a cover story as to how they were knocked unconscious."

Rowan gave him a look. "Have you forgotten who we are? It's not that difficult. We've had to do things like this loads of times before."

"They're fifth years," said Louis. "They'll be studying for O.W.L.s. Don't the fifth years always congregate in the dungeons to practice potions? All sorts of things could happen in there."

"It would be so easy for some sort of potions mishap to occur and for four unsuspecting fifth year students to be sent to the hospital wing, comatose, from the unfortunate accident," Del added, smiling.

"Of course, we'd just have to have a discussion alone with our dear family members, perhaps during dinner, when nobody would know where they'd be," Fred continued. "They could be in the dungeons, for all anyone would know. Who's to say they were anywhere else?"

"And who do we know," said James with a smile, "who might be able to witness such an event, even though the students were working while everyone else was at dinner?"

It seemed Lily, Morgan, and Lorcan had yet another job to accomplish.

* * *

"The wards must have been around the house, and that's what made me believe I was blind," Rose realized, pacing. "They wanted me to feel despair, and this way, they wouldn't need someone with very advanced medical training to see if they could repair my vision. They could just lift the spell."

"Thank Merlin," Al breathed in relief. He smiled at Rose. "We got out of there alive."

"Yeah," Alice said, "and now we're stuck in a forest somewhere, freezing to death, and there are more bloody wards around the forest that ensure we can't leave! Not to mention somewhere out there, eleven Riddlers are hunting for us."

"We need to contact Teddy," Scorpius said. He took out his Legacy coin.

"Not a word about my temporary blindness," Rose warned. "Or how Al and Alice were both unconscious, and how you guys were tortured using the Cruciatus."

The Hogwarts students still weren't answering, but the graduates answered immediately. "Are you all right? What's happening?"

"We've escaped," Scorpius answered quickly, "but we're stuck in a forest now. Can you tell where we are?"

"Lucy and Will have been trying to use the Trace to track you," Molly answered. "We still can't track you. The wards around that forest must be blocking it. Can you take them down?"

"Don't you think we've _tried?_" Alice demanded, rolling her eyes.

"We broke through the wards around the house, but the forest ones are too strong," Al clarified.

"We've got descriptions of the Riddler graduates, though," Rose added.

"Can you tell me?" Teddy asked.

Alice, Al, and Scorpius relayed the information to him, speaking rapidly. As Teddy finished writing it all down, he scowled. "I recognize some of these," he growled. "Is that all of them?"

"They didn't want to take any chances with us," Scorpius answered. "All the graduated Riddlers besides the ones at Hogwarts impersonating us are here."

"All right," said Teddy. "Describe the forest."

After they'd finished describing the cold temperatures (there was frost on the ground, but no snow; the light snow they'd had before seemed to have melted) and the types of trees and such, Vic assured them that it was incredibly helpful and they would be able to find them within a few days.

"All right, thanks," said Scorpius, and then he put the coin away and the four of them stared at one another. All they had to do was manage to last in the forest with eleven Riddlers hunting for them with murderous intentions.

"This'll be fun," sighed Al.


	18. Chapter 18

**Again, sorry for the wait. I've been really busy lately. Unfortunately, this chapter isn't as long as the past few have been, and it's the closest I've ever gotten to a filler chapter, so I'm sorry about that. I'm already working on the next chapter, though, and I promise I'll try to make it better! And I'll update really soon, and all that . . . **

**Review! Tell me what you think, even if it's to get mad at me for coming up with this measly chapter after claiming to update every couple of days. I'm really afraid this is horrible, although I hope it isn't. **

**I'll stop rambling now. **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Al leaned against the tree's trunk, watching as the others woke up. "Teddy contacted me while you lot were asleep," he told them idly, fingering his coin.

Rose sat up straight. It was almost comical – her blue eyes were extremely wide, her robes were filthy, and she had a large leaf sticking out of her hair, which truly resembled a bird's nest. "What did he say?" she demanded.

"They've figured out where we are, but have no idea how to get here. The magical barrier the Riddlers put up won't let them Apparate in, and we can't Disapparate out."

Alice slammed her forehead against the tree trunk. "It's been two days," she moaned. "Two days in this bloody forest, eating moss and those weird fish."

"It's not moss," Al snapped, sounding irritated. "Honestly. Is it my fault food is one of the exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration?" He was tired, having lost several hours of sleep (it was his turn on watch).

"Well, if you could –"

"Shut up," interrupted Scorpius. He was frowning; he appeared to be thinking hard about something. "Alice, do you remember what Cecy Pryce said that first time we met her?"

"A load of rubbish," said Alice irritably. "I remember she was going on and on about how she made the Ravenclaw Quidditch team –"

"Quidditch!" Al said suddenly. He looked mournfully at the sky. "Gryffindor has a match coming up, and James is missing half his team!"

A sane person would have said something like, "We've nearly died several times in the last few days and you're worried about Quidditch?" Scorpius, however, appeared to be severely perturbed by this thought.

"You didn't think of that until now?" Alice snorted. "I've been worried about it ever since Al mentioned it when we stole our wands back."

"How did you do that, anyway?" Rose asked curiously.

"We used that somersault maneuver you, James, and Del taught us in our last practice," Alice answered.

"There was a man holding our wands," Al explained, "so we vaulted over the couch we were hiding behind and stole them. I borrowed an idea from Scorpius, actually." He grinned. "I bit him."

"Mate," said Scorpius in surprise, looking oddly touched. He was grinning like an idiot.

They all took a moment to appreciate that before Rose prompted, "Scorpius? You had an idea?"

"Right," he agreed. "When we first met Cecy, she said she was related to Dangerous Dai, and that all of her family had a career in Quidditch except for one uncle who works with –"

"Portkeys!" Alice realized. "Scorpius, that's brilliant!"

Rose and Al locked glances before turning to Scorpius accusingly. "You're going to have them break into the Ministry?" Al asked. "_Without _us?"

"There are always other times, mate," Scorpius comforted him.

This didn't seem to appease Al. "What's she going to do?" Rose demanded. "Obliviate her aunt? We're in this mess because we've broken the law way too many times to involve the Ministry cleanly."

"Exactly." Alice nodded emphatically. "So what's a few more times?"

"Alice!" Rose exclaimed, aghast. "You yelled at me yesterday when I wanted to _obliviate _the Riddlers into thinking they're Muggles." Could they imagine the irony? It would have been hilarious! The Riddlers thought they were delivering justice? It would be justice at its finest!

"We're in this mess," Alice said, "because the last memory charms Legacy performed were traceable."

"We're older now," Rose argued. "It would be so much easier –"

"You can tell when a person's memory has been tampered with," Scorpius objected flatly. "And they are unreliable. How many people do you know who can perform a long-term memory charm without having somebody catch the evidence?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart," chorused Al and Rose.

"You're impossible," sighed Scorpius, tracing a pattern in the dirt.

"You're insufferable," Rose retorted immediately.

His head snapped up. "You're incorrigible –"

"Let's _not _do this again," snapped Alice. Rose and Scorpius ignored her, exchanging grins.

"Oh, bloody hell, mate," Al muttered under his breath. "I thought that punch to the jaw would've done it. It's too late to save you, isn't it? You're too far gone." He looked mournful.

Alice had narrowed her eyes at Rose. _We're going to have words later, _she seemed to be saying. Rose looked slightly sick at the thought.

"Let's just contact the others, shall we?"

* * *

"I have identified the potion as a sleeping draught, Mr. Scamander." Madam Pomfrey sounded deeply suspicious. Lorcan didn't blame her. "It will take one week for me to acquire the antidote."

Lorcan considered acting surprised for a moment before deciding against it. Slytherins didn't like to let on that they hadn't seen something coming – it was a matter of pride. When Lorcan was silent, Madam Pomfrey continued, "I find it difficult to believe that such talented students as these four managed to mess up a potion so badly that they put themselves into comas."

"A lot of potions were spilled in that fall," Lorcan pointed out. "Just mixing them was bound to cause problems, not to mention the fact that some of them may have been improperly brewed. Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing what affected them for sure."

Madam Pomfrey looked unimpressed by his logic. "I am not going to ask what caused this 'accident,' seeing as you've already stressed several times that you 'don't know' and 'only caught them fainting.' However, you're lucky that the potions' effects were not more severe."

"Quite lucky," agreed Lorcan smoothly.

Madam Pomfrey was studying him. "Very well," she said at last, almost reluctantly, as if she wished she'd found a way to blame him for the accident. "You're free to go."

"Thank you." He offered her a charming smile and briskly left the common room. He was sure she suspected that he had something to do with this.

If she only knew.

* * *

James was utterly confused when he received an urgent message from Teddy demanding to speak with his girlfriend immediately. He retrieved her from the Quidditch pitch anyway. (Ravenclaw was not having a good practice. Serena Collins was visiting her boyfriend in the hospital wing, and now Cecy Pryce was going off with James Potter – what for, only Merlin knew. James was briefly disturbed by the fact that both he and his little brother were going out with girls on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He resolved to kill Lily if she ever got old enough to date a former Ravenclaw Quidditch boy; obviously he wouldn't have to worry about that for at least . . . how old was she, thirteen? . . . twenty years or so).

To James's surprise, it wasn't Teddy who snuck into the Gryffindor common room, but Lucy and her mates. "Dylan and Holly are back, so this'll be brilliant" was the first thing she said as they entered.

"What are you talking about?" Cecy demanded, and then they dissolved into conspiratorial whispers and evil grins.

"Yes, my uncle's the only one in the family who hasn't got a career in Quidditch, so he's a bit of an anomaly . . . yeah, that means I've seen his office loads of times; I know exactly how to get in . . . it'll be highly illegal . . . say, have we got that stock of powerful sleeping draught?"

"You're going to break into the Ministry," James said flatly.

"James Sirius Potter," drawled Lucy, slinging her arm around Will, "everyone of Legacy has got to do it once. It's only a matter of time before you have performed this excellent rite of passage yourself."

James arched an eyebrow. "Fine," he said, "but if you _ever _think about doing something like this again – breaking into the ministry without me, the nerve! – I'll honestly murder you. In fact, I'll set Sir Cadogan on you."

"Noted," Holly told him cheerfully. She clapped her hands together. "So, Cecy, meet us tonight and we'll plan properly, yeah?"

"I'll see you later," Cecy answered with a grin.

* * *

Hugo groaned and stirred, opening his eyes slightly.

"You're awake, I see. You were unconscious for two hours." Madam Pomfrey tutted disapprovingly. "You Quidditch players are always ending up in here, and it seems to happen to your family the most."

Hugo noticed the words _Dom Weasley was here _etched into the side of his cot and grinned inwardly.

"You'll have to stay here overnight, I'm afraid," continued Madam Pomfrey. "I can't understand how you managed to injure yourself so badly. You'd almost have to try."

_Not almost. _What could he say? Del Pryce had a way with a Beater's bat – he was convinced she was playing the wrong position. She'd obviously missed her calling.

Madam Pomfrey turned around to pour Hugo a goblet of something no doubt tasting of thestral intestines, and he took the opportunity to feel around in his pocket. He breathed a sigh of relief as Madam Pomfrey turned around again.

"Drink this," she ordered.

Grimacing, Hugo tossed the contents of the goblet back and thrust the cup at Madam Pomfrey, coughing madly. He was wrong – it didn't taste like thestral intestines; it tasted worse. He supposed. He'd never eaten a thestral, had he? For one, his mum would murder him, and for another, he wasn't a hippogriff.

"Hmm," Madam Pomfrey mused. "You're not nearly as whiny as your sister. The first time she drank that, she spit it out and cursed every famous wizard ever born in the last century."

Hugo grinned, but it quickly disappeared when he remembered where Rose was. Not that he knew exactly where she was, but still, he needed his sister – who else would Hugo blame when something went wrong at home if not Rose?

Madam Pomfrey left him to his own devices, expecting that he would need sleep. The potion she'd given him would make him slightly drowsy. She had missed, however, the satisfied smile that had stretched its way across Hugo's face as he turned to the left and surveyed the four people on the cots beside him. He had been placed right beside the four imposters.

And he had a flask full of Polyjuice in his pocket.

* * *

Rose was running as fast as she could - which, luckily for her, was really quite fast. Alice hadn't had as much luck and had scaled a tree several minutes ago so she could engage in a duel from a higher vantage point.

"Bloody hell," she growled, gritting her teeth as a branch slapped into her face.

"STUPEFY!"

"INCARCEROUS!"

"REDUCTO!"

Rose dodged two of the spells and deflected the third, skidding to a stop as four of the Riddlers appeared in front of her, grinning nastily. She had time to back up a few steps and duck behind a tree before the first spells hit. "Protego," she yelled, throwing her arm over her face as a spell shot by her ear. This was a bad place to duel. She needed to get out.

She risked a peek around the side of the trunk, only to pull back quickly as three simultaneous spells were aimed at her. One of them grazed her cheek, splitting a gash across her cheekbone. There was only one witch on the other side. Taking a deep breath, Rose closed her eyes, flung herself to the right, and shouted "Impedimenta!" as she dropped to the ground and rolled, coming up on her feet behind another tree.

_Thank Quidditch. _Her reflexes were sharp, and she knew how to move - and her mum couldn't see the use of the game.

The impediment jinx had worked, but now the other three Riddlers were running forward. Rose dashed off in the opposite direction, running blindly and throwing curses over her shoulder, swerving to avoid counterattacks. As exhilarating as dueling was, she really wished she could stop; she was far too experienced in fighting for someone her age. If her parents knew how good she was at this . . .

"Confringo!" Alice screamed suddenly, and the spell went over Rose's head and hit a branch, causing it to explode. A particularly large piece hit one of the Riddlers in the face, effectively knocking him out. Rose used the distraction to send a stunning spell at one of the cowering Riddlers, and the Riddler was promptly knocked unconscious.

Alice dropped to the ground and yelled, "Expelliarmus!" She remembered Al using it to blast a person off their feet. It didn't work the way she had hoped, but Rose snatched the Riddler's wand out of the air and finished the Riddler off with a full-body bind.

"Thank Merlin," Alice breathed, glancing at Rose. "How do you think the boys are faring?"

Al and Scorpius had gone out for food. "I don't know," Rose shrugged, "but they can handle themselves. Besides, the majority of the Riddlers were here - only three didn't show up to duel us. They can handle three people."

"Yeah," Alice agreed as they tied the Riddlers up, leaving them slumped at the base of a tree. When they were away from the cite of the fight, perched comfortably in trees, Alice turned to Rose again. "So how long have you fancied Scorpius?"

Rose froze. "I don't," she said unconvincingly. "I can't. Oh, Merlin's pointy boots, no."

"They call this denial," Alice lectured. "The first step to getting past it is admitting you have a problem."

Rose cast her a scathing look. "I'm not an addict, Alice. Shut up and snap me out of it."

"Hmm." Alice gave her a considering look before seeming to decide on something. She brought her hand back and delivered a solid punch to Rose's jaw. "There. Does it hurt to talk?"

"Yes!" Rose glared at her furiously.

"Good. Just a reminder. Now, tell me why you feel this way about Mr. Malfoy."

Rose wondered if Alice was crazy. She was _not _a therapist, and if she was, she wouldn't make a very good one. "Well . . . you know," she said awkwardly. "Um. He's really good at insulting me."

Alice frowned. "That doesn't seem to be a very strong basis for a relationship, Miss Weasley."

Rose choked. "I never said anything about - you - argh!"

Alice looked at her patiently. "When did you discover your feelings for Mr. Malfoy?"

"Ah . . . when he yelled at me the other day."

"When he yelled at you," Alice repeated. "This doesn't seem to be a healthy relationship, Miss Weasley, and the involvement of romance in it would only serve to be harmful. I suggest you get over your feelings. That'll be five galleons for the advice, please."

Rose was scandalized. "Fat lot of use you are!" She returned the punch Alice had given her, and they began to scuffle. Five minutes later, they were sporting matching bruised jaws and an assortment of various other bruises. Alice's left eye wouldn't stop twitching.

"Seriously," Rose said. "How am I supposed to pretend I don't want to run my fingers through his adorably messy hair?"

"Oh, it's 'adorably messy,' is it?" Alice inquired. "But Al's hair, which is just the same, 'looks like a Cornish pixie nested in it?'"

"Er . . ."

"It's possible to be best mates with a ridiculously good-looking guy, you know," Alice informed her. "I'm not developing any strange feelings for Al, am I?"

"No, but you hate everyone, including boys. And it's not his looks, Alice, although they don't hurt. He just does stuff."

"He does stuff," repeated Alice. "How fascinating."

"You know what I mean! Do you remember that one time I was on the potions Madam Pomfrey gave me after I was injured in that Quidditch game against Slytherin, and I was acting like a nutter and got a spell completely wrong? And Boris Morris was giving me snarky tips on magic and talking about how somehow should help me, because it wasn't my fault I was stupid, and she'd offer to help but she was going to attempt a harder spell, and Scorpius said, 'How do you plan to do it, considering you're a Squib?' Or how about the time I was in a horrible mood because of O.W.L.s, and I kept snapping at everyone and nobody could find an answer to my increasingly sarcastic commentary until Scorpius came around, I insulted him, and he snapped right back? And I was sort of just shocked before we both started laughing, and the rest of you thought we were mad?"

Alice gave her a look. "What would Scorpius say if it were another guy, Rose?"

Rose grinned. "'Where's your Gryffindor courage?'"

"Exactly."

Al and Scorpius appeared out of the trees right at that moment, and Rose slumped down, her grin vanishing.

Her courage was at home with her sanity.


	19. Chapter 19

**So, here it is. Tell me what you think! **

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

Roxy watched from her cot as Neville clasped Alice's hand worriedly. (After Hugo had left, she had volunteered to get herself put in the hospital wing to continue administering the Polyjuice to the imposters).

"She'll be fine, Professor," assured Roxy. "They all will."

Neville started, as if he hadn't noticed her there. "Thank you, Roxy," he said with a smile. She saw with some shock that there were tears in his eyes. She knew he was ridiculously overprotective of Alice, but she supposed she could understand that – after what had happened to his parents, and all.

Alice had never said it outright, but Roxy thought that to the members of Legacy who had been through the pensieve, it was obvious why – he had, after all, named his daughter _Alice. _

Roxanne Weasley was not the sort to comfort people. Looking at Neville, however, she wanted to tell him that she knew firsthand that Alice was a fighter, and that it wasn't really Alice on the bed.

She also knew, however, that he wouldn't want to know what was really happening to Alice. The four hadn't shared much with Teddy and the others, and had tried to pass if off calmly, but they were sure that story would change when they could speak in person.

If they had suffered under the Cruciatus curse, it would destroy Neville, although Alice had seemed quite sane when they last spoke to her. Besides, he couldn't know about all the illegal and dangerous activity they had engaged in, no matter how much illegal and dangerous activity he had been involved in himself at their age.

"Drink this," Madam Pomfrey ordered her brusquely, noticing that she was awake.

Roxy hated that stuff with a burning passion. "Do I have to? It's disgusting, and I don't think it should be forced on innocent children –"

"You should have thought of that before you got yourself injured in that mad game," Madam Pomfrey snapped, glaring at her. "How you managed to do this to yourself the very day your cousin left the hospital wing for the same reason is beyond me. One would think you're trying to get landing in here."

"So I could drink this stuff?" Roxy asked disgustedly. "Yeah, right."

Madam Pomfrey gave her an arch look before bustling off, and Roxy heard someone snicker behind her. "What a typical Gryffindor answer." Lorcan shook her head at Roxy as her cousin turned to face her. "I would have said something like, 'Maybe we can't help but want to be around you.'"

"That's disgustingly cheesy." Roxy gave him a skeptical look.

"Yeah," conceded Lorcan, "but it would have made her smile. And then maybe she'd be a little nicer, or more inclined to like you."

"I'm not here to make her like me," objected Roxy, lowering her voice. "I'm here to break more rules, which would be easier without a teacher's supervision."

Lorcan glanced at Neville. "I don't suppose you want help getting rid of him?"

Roxy gave him a grin, and he sighed. "What would you do without me?"

* * *

"Clever," Dylan complimented her, sounding impressed.

Cecy glanced up at him briefly. "Ravenclaw, remember?" She was carefully erasing all vestiges of their illegal Portkey-making. Holly and Lucy were off taking care of that part; Lucy's Hit Wizard experience was invaluable.

There were some sorts of Portkeys that could bypass powerful wards, but only Hit Wizards and Aurors with had the authority to use them, and only if they had consent from either the Head of the Auror Office (one Harry James Potter), the head of the Hit Wizard Department, or the approval of the Minister of Magic, who would first contact the aforementioned heads to verify the necessity of such a Portkey.

They were breaking all kinds of major laws by their actions. Cecy risked a quick glance at the clock. "We only have five minutes left," she said worriedly. "The guards will have started back this way."

Dylan muttered into his Legacy coin, and Will was alerted. He was taking care of the security wards; he was erasing all traces of their having broken in. His Hit Wizard training was really coming in handy; it took incredible skill to break into the office without setting off the wards, and to erase the traces left by their undetected breaking-and-entering took even more skill.

"All right," Cecy told Dylan, "carefully repeat put the concealment charms on the here; we don't want them to know what we've done here. Then we'll make it untraceable and undetectable and that should be enough. Nobody ever really looks at these files except in cases of –"

"Trials," Dylan interrupted, "which is the only case it'll matter."

Cecy looked uncomfortable. "If they need to look this up for a trial, we'll have bigger problems to worry about. This isn't the only time we've broken the law. We'd be off to Azkaban no matter how well we concealed our tracks."

Dylan glanced at her but didn't say anything. "There," he said after a moment. "It's done. How are you coming along?"

"Just a second," she answered, concentrating. "All right. We're good."

"Hurry," he urged, offering her a hand up. "We've only got a minute left." They made their way out of the room, making sure not to disturb the wards that Will had so painstakingly bypassed. They ran into Lucy and Holly in the hall.

Will met them near the entrance. "Get back," he hissed. "We're too late. The guards are coming."

_Damn it. _ They went back into the records room, keeping to the shadows. They all had disillusionment charms on, but if the guards actually entered and did their hourly routine check, they would be found out.

Cecy had thought of that before, however, and timed everything so they would be out just before the round preceding the guards' hourly check. They had missed it, but the time slot wasn't completely closed yet – if they could get out before the last round, during which the check would occur, they would make it out – but just barely. It was cutting it close and very risky, but it was the only chance they had.

Lucy and Will hid just behind the door, ready to knock them out and obliviate the men if necessary. Hopefully, when they were coming in, they'd be able to knock them out and take care of their memory from behind, before they had a chance to see who had broken in.

That would alert the Ministry to the fact that there had been a break-in, however, and one done by highly trained wizards or witches. And the first two departments that would be under suspicion were the Hit Wizards and the Aurors. They did _not _need that right now.

Lucy breathed in deeply, forcing herself to remain calm. She couldn't go to Azkaban; she had seen firsthand what it did to people. But she never once doubted that it had all been worth it. If it weren't for Legacy, every one of them would suffer under the stress of living up to their parents. It would suffocate them, and the only way to escape it would be running away, or through death.

Lucy had no doubt that one or more of them would try to run away. The entire family was full of Gryffindors, a few Slytherins, and a couple Ravenclaws. There were no Hufflepuffs among them – they were from the House of the Brave, the House of the Ambitious, the House of the Intelligent, but they were not humble.

And those of them that didn't run away would crumble. Their strength of character was based on unity, loyalty, confidence, and pride. All that would be taken away if Legacy didn't exist, and they would be lifeless drones, attempting to live the lives their parents set out for them.

Love, money, and fame were valuable only if they were earned. If they were given to them for no reason, they'd always live in the fear that everything would be taken away from them, because what were they doing to keep it?

"All right, go," Will whispered, shoving her forward, and Lucy skillfully passed through the wards, quickly heading out. The others followed briskly, and they were out of the Ministry within a minute.

"I've got the Portkeys," Holly told the others. "But we have to get these to Teddy quickly."

Seconds later, they were gone, and there was no sign that five famous young witches and wizards had every broken into the Ministry that night.

* * *

"Teddy says they'll be here in about five minutes," Alice said in a low voice.

Rose glanced worriedly back at Scorpius and Al. "We can't let any of them see us like this," she said urgently. "We've got to heal each other; at least the worst of the gashes and such. Alice, you do Scorpius."

She gave Alice a pleading glance, and with an arched eyebrow, Alice ordered Scorpius to get rid of his bloodied, ripped, and muddied shirt. "Bloody hell, Al," murmured Rose as she inspected her cousin. "You're bruised everywhere."

"Don't worry about that," he muttered back. "Just heal that large cut on my shoulder; it's still bleeding. And then make my face recognizable and heal my ankle so I don't have to limp."

Rose complied. "I'm leaving some of the grime and blood on your face, but there's only a faint scar on your forehead and shoulder, and you ankle is a bit swollen."

"Fine," he said dismissively. "Your turn." When he was done, he leaned back and surveyed her. "You still look like hell."

"Thanks, Al," she answered. "You too."

"You all look like hell," came Teddy's voice.

Rose's head snapped up. "Teddy!"

He was looking at them worriedly, taking in the bruises and cuts and dirt and blood. "You're going to be questioned very thoroughly," he informed them, "later. For now, I need you to help us round up the Riddlers. Are you up to it?"

"Yeah," Scorpius answered. He glanced at Dom, Vic, Molly, Lucy, Will, Holly, and Dylan, who were behind Teddy. "There are only eleven of them here."

"Can you show us where?"

"We actually have them tied up from our last duel. I'll show you," Rose volunteered. Fifteen minutes later, they had all eleven Riddlers rounded up, still unconscious.

"Perfect," declared Vic. She glanced at her watch. "The portkey is set to take us to Teddy's apartment in twenty minutes; we weren't sure how much time it would take to subdue the Riddlers. We didn't know you already had them tied up and knocked out, obviously. Why don't you tell us what's happened to you."

The four of them sat against the trees, exchanging glances. "We woke up in the house's basement," began Rose. "They tortured us –"

"How?" Dom demanded.

"Cruciatus," answered Alice.

"Sectumsempra," put in Al. "Things like that." He glanced at Alice, who stared at the ground for a moment before nodding. "We spent a lot of time unconscious."

Scorpius caught Rose's hand. _Tell them, _he mouthed. She shook her head, and he fixed her with a look, his grey-blue eyes piercing. Rose hesitated, then said, "And for me . . ." She glanced at Scorpius, who nodded encouragingly. "They blinded me."

The older cousins stiffened. "_What?_" Dom snarled.

"Temporarily," Rose amended. "They wanted me to feel despair, I guess, so I would reveal everything we've done."

"They were planning to kill us," Scorpius growled, sounding furious. "They wanted her to die thinking she was blind. Without hope."

Lucy flexed her fist. "I'm going to kill them," she said softly.

Teddy shook his head. "Worse," he said. "We're going to put them in Azkaban for life. And Kingsley Shacklebolt may have put a stop to the use of dementors to guard Azkaban, there are far more inhumane security measures taken to prevent break-outs." He locked eyes with Lucy and Will, looking grim.

"Like what?" Scorpius asked.

Will shook his head. "Just say that the putting a witch or wizard in Azkaban is like putting a werewolf in a cell by itself with a clear view of the sky. It would attack itself every full moon with no ability to heal and eventually lose its mind."

"He or she," corrected Teddy softly. "Not it." He gestured for the four to continue their story.

After they were finished, Rose asked, "What are your plans for the Riddlers? How are you going to manage to put them in Azkaban?"

Teddy closed his eyes. He seemed to be struggling with himself. "The Imperious Curse," he said finally, his eyes trained on the ground.

They stilled, the jaw of every person around him dropping. "Teddy," Al said cautiously, "that's an Unforgivable."

"I know," Teddy muttered miserably, sounding the least confident any of them had ever heard him.

"It's all right," said Vic, though it looked as if it physically pained her to say those words. "It's the least inhumane of the three Unforgivables, and they deserve it."

Rose's hand went to her eye. "Yeah," she said suddenly. "They do. But Teddy, the punishment for an Unforgivable is a life sentence."

Teddy didn't look at her. "I know," he repeated. "But at least this way we have a chance of escaping this without being discovered. I'll be the one to perform the curse. I was thinking we should administer the remaining sleeping draught to them and leave them in the house. Then we'll return you four to school, and you'll wake up and say it was Devienne and a few people you don't know who gave you the potion in an attempt to permanently put you out of commission. The potion we gave them, after all, could only be reversed by the people who administered it. We'll say that Lily discovered the plot when she accidentally fell into the room they use for meetings and began to explore. She found three important documents: a list of the inner circle and the graduated Riddlers, a letter from Andrew Danforth, that Gryffindor with the grudge against me, to Devienne that detailed the plan, and one that gives us the location of the Riddler safe house; the one right here. Because I'm the Auror that began the investigation, at their trial, I'll be allowed to ask a representative of the group five questions under Veritaserum. One of them with good control – one of your torturers; that way, their answers will hold only a minimal amount of information, so they won't implicate us."

"That's what the Imperious is for," Molly realized. "To get their consent for the use of Veritaserum."

Teddy nodded. "Exactly."

"It's risky," Vic pointed out worriedly.

"So is everything we've done so far," Teddy pointed out, and she nodded slowly.

He exhaled. "All right." He reached into his pocket and produced the draught. After having Will give it to every Riddler, he levitated their bodies. "I'll be right back. Al, could you show me the way to the house?"

Will closed his eyes. "He'd better alert me before they circle the house."

Rose looked at him questioningly, and he explained, "I'll have to revive them just before they're collected, and it should be me that does it because Teddy will be the Auror leading the investigation. It could've been Lucy, but that would be more suspicious because she's related by blood to you."

"We'll give you a day to rest," Vic told them. "After that, you'll have to wake up in the hospital wing, and the whole thing will start. But once it's over . . ."

"We'll be free."

"Hopefully," put in Molly.

Vic glanced at her watch. "We'll have to go any minute now."

Teddy and Al returned just in time, and they crowded around the portkey, which was a copy of _Hogwarts, a History. _Within seconds, they were sucked into the portkey and were gone.

* * *

"Mr. Scamander is the third Gryffindor Quidditch player to be injured, Miss Potter," Professor McGonagall reminded her frostily.

Lily hung her head. "All right," she sighed, glancing at Xander. He was currently unconscious. "I'm ashamed to say it, but I overheard some Slytherins talking the other day. They're worried that if Gryffindor wins our game against them, they'll win the Cup, so they've been jinxing the brooms. I think . . . I think the upcoming Gryffindor-Slytherin game may be unfair, but if you switch the brooms, they'll be playing on the horrid school brooms and will lose anyway." _Appeal to her Gryffindor Quidditch pride and desire to win. _

McGonagall's lips were pressed into a thin line. "I see," she said. "And who was it you overheard?"

"I don't know," Lily admitted. She closed her eyes and muttered, "You owe me for this, James Potter. Professor, I think if you switched this game and the upcoming Slytherin-Hufflepuff game, it would be fairer."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes at Lily. "They're my family," Lily explained, making sure her voice sounded reluctant and grudging. "And I know I can beat their sorry arses anyway."

McGonagall's brows arched ever so slightly at that, but she said nothing. Glad that she hadn't commented on her use of the word "arses" in front of a teacher, Lily listened attentively as McGonagall conceded, "Very well. The game shall be postponed."

Lily nodded. "Er, Professor . . . if you could keep this anonymous . . ."

"Nobody will know it was you," McGonagall promised, and Lily exhaled in relief. After the teacher had left, she glanced at Xander.

"You can stop pretending to be unconscious, now, Xander."

Xander sat up, grinning. "Well then," he said, "want to help me Polyjuice the imposters?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, I'm updating twice in the same day, but I was really excited about this chapter. This is the last one! After this, the story is finished. It makes me sad to think that I'm done writing about Legacy, because I really enjoyed it. I've gotten kind of attached to these guys :). I'm not going to write an epilogue, although at the end, there is an idea of the future. **

**I'd like to thank those of you who have left reviews and have been reading the story from the start. This is, as you know, my first fanfiction ever, so it really means a lot to me. **

**Tell me what you think of the ending, and the story overall, just in general. Like it, hate it, love it, expected it . . . whatever your opinion is, tell me! I really do enjoy reading your reviews. **

**Also, I want to write a story about the Marauders' lives - how they met, how they formed one of the closest friendships ever, and how they fell apart and ended in tragedy. What do you think? **

**Don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: This world and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.**

"Madam Pomfrey, help!" Rose yelled, thankful that her voice was still a bit raspy. The plan had changed, but only slightly. Devienne, who had been lured to the hospital wing by Lily, froze as Madam Pomfrey came rushing forward.

"Oh, my," gasped Madam Pomfrey, staring at the four people sitting up in bed.

"It was him!" Al pointed at Devienne, widening his eyes.

Devienne narrowed his gaze at Al. "What's going on? Potter!" He whipped around to turn his glare on Lily, who waved cheerfully back.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Al!" She flung herself theatrically at her brother before inspecting Rose, Scorpius, and Alice in turn. "What happened? All we know is that you fainted in the dungeons because of an accident –"

"It wasn't an accident!" Scorpius burst in angrily. He mimicked Al, flinging a finger at Devienne. "He did it!"

Madam Pomfrey stared for a moment before hurriedly leaving the room, calling, "Don't move, any of you!" over her shoulder. She returned with Professor McGonagall and Professor Longbottom, who both had baffled expressions on their faces.

As Madam Pomfrey fussed about and Neville gave his daughter, and then the others, a relieved smile, the Headmistress regarded the four calmly. "Explain," she ordered, and Al began talking.

"Professor, we were in the dungeons studying for our Potions O.W.L. when Devienne came up in front of us and began talking. He was saying things about – about our parents, and how they caused the death of a lot of his people's families."

"We weren't sure who his people were, obviously," Alice put in, "or how our parents could possibly have anything to do with it. I mean, yeah, they fought in the war, but didn't a lot of other people? And just because Harry was the one who cast the spell that killed Voldemort –"

"That's enough, Alice," Neville broke in, although he didn't correct his daughter on what really happened.

"Anyway, a guy named Andrew Danforth came forward and put a full body-bind on all of us before we could do a thing," Rose continued. "He started talking about how we got special treatment and never earned anything because of who our parents are, which again, I don't understand because didn't a lot of other people fight in the war? And how did my parents have anything to do with it; Uncle Harry was the one who killed Voldemort, right?"

Nobody answered her, so Scorpius went on. "He said killing us would be too dangerous, so he would permanently incapacitate us, which was the next best thing."

"Devienne administered the potent sleeping draught on us, and that's why we were comatose," Al concluded. "We woke up just now to find him standing over us."

"That's ridiculous," Devienne protested. "Professor, they're obviously confused – they just woke up –"

"Then what are you doing here, Devienne?" Professor McGonagall asked coldly.

He opened his mouth, undoubtedly to try to weasel his way out of the situation – he was a very dangerous Slytherin in that regard – but Lily intervened. "I was watching, Professor. Back in the common room, I fell into a secret room and decided to explore. There, I found three very important papers hidden away."

She showed McGonagall the documents, ignoring the flash of rage that crossed Devienne's face before he schooled it into an impassive mask again. McGonagall scanned them, her eyebrows creeping higher and higher, until she looked up and demanded, "What is this?"

Devienne pressed his lips together, knowing very well what they would say. Legacy, it seemed, had more Slytherin in it than he'd anticipated. Worse than that, it was made up primarily of Gryffindors – and this move was bolder and more daring than any a Riddler would have made, which was exactly why it was working.

"You can't prove I had anything to with that," he said.

Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes, but Lily spoke up. "Professor, these papers are the reason I followed Devienne when I saw him leaving the common room. He came straight here and tipped the contents of a vial into their mouths. He laid the vials on the cot beside them, and I snatched it up. He didn't notice."

She reached into her pocket and withdrew the antidote, looking directly at Madam Pomfrey. "I guarantee it's some sort of antidote."

McGonagall looked at the vial, and then at Lily. "You're sure?" she asked. "These are serious accusations, Miss Potter."

Lily nodded. "Test it. It'll be an antidote."

"You can't prove that it was mine," Devienne repeated.

Professor McGonagall shifted her gaze to him. "If that is truly an antidote, there will be serious consequences for you. Unless you can provide memories that prove otherwise – and we will know if the memories have been tampered with or not – you will be taken to trial."

Devienne paled slightly, but his expression remained composed. "Professor, surely you don't believe such a ridiculous tale. There must be some mistake."

McGonagall looked at him levelly. "Can you prove otherwise? The story fits – what other explanation can you come up with for being here and for the revival of these four?"

Devienne gritted his teeth. "Taking my memories is a gross invasion of privacy," he said. "Much like the use of veritaserum under trial – which is why consent must be given before such actions are taken. The fact that I don't want to give up my memories is irrelevant to my guilt."

McGonagall didn't waver. "I'm afraid the evidence says otherwise." She stood up, keeping the three documents with her. "This will have to be investigated. And if this house truly exists and contains the people the list has named – you will be taken to trial."

* * *

The message was one word – _now. _Will's nerves were almost unbearable, but he forced himself to be calm as he Apparated to the Riddler safe house, antidote in hand. The timing for this had to be perfect.

He entered the house, wondering when he had become attached enough to Legacy to risk his whole life; his career. At school, it had always been about the rivalry with the Riddlers. Now . . . somehow, Will was risking Azkaban for a family that wasn't his.

If he was truthful, he was doing it for Lucy. So were Holly and Dylan, of course, but he had different reasons. Lucy Weasley had been his best mate for a very long time, and he had fancied her for nearly two years, and then one day he had realized that he was absolutely, irrevocably in love with her.

At least he knew she was in love with him too, although she'd never actually said it in all the time they'd been going out. They never really said anything out loud, because saying something that serious when one actually, truly meant it was far too bold a move for a Slytherin.

The eleven Riddlers, now joined with the four imposters, were tied up and on the couches. Knowing it would take ten seconds for the antidote to work, Will began to untie the Riddlers. He burned the rope when he was finished with it and waited for Teddy's signal.

"Fifteen seconds," came Teddy Lupin's voice, and Will worked his way through the Riddlers, tipping the antidote into their mouths quickly.

Without wasting time, he Apparated away. Not a moment after he was gone, the booming voice of an Auror sounded: "Nobody move. Put down your wands and don't try to Apparate out."

"Were you caught?" Lucy demanded worriedly as he appeared on the couch of her apartment.

"No," he breathed, relieved. She grinned at him.

"Well, damn. I always wondered what it would be like to bail you out of jail. 'He's a hit Wizard, see, and he's always been really bad at Apparating.'"

Will snorted. "Sorry to disappoint. Forgive me if I'm just glad I avoided ruining my life." Then he shuddered. "That was really reckless. I feel like . . . a _Gryffindor._"

"Don't even joke," Lucy deadpanned.

Will looked at her thoughtfully, at her icy blue eyes and her mischievous expression and her raven hair. They'd always joked that they should switch last names because of their hair – from their first meeting. While he was feeling like a Gryffindor, maybe he should fix that.

"Hey, Luce," he said, "I don't suppose you want to get married?"

Her eyebrows shot up, her mouth opened slightly, and her eyes widened to the size of a house-elf's. He grinned slightly at her expression. "You look like an idiot, you know that?" Not the most romantic thing to say, but they'd been best mates since the age of eleven. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the Raven family ring.

"You weren't joking," Lucy said faintly. "About the Gryffindor thing." She glared at him. "Snap out of it. No fiancé of mine will act like a Gryffindor."

His grin broadened. "Is that a yes, then?"

She nodded, and he suspected strongly that he looked like an idiot, too, grinning madly as he was, but he didn't particularly care at that moment. Tugging her to him, he kissed her, almost crushing her with the strength of his hug, but she didn't seem to care.

Then a thought struck him, and he froze, drawing back. "Oh, Merlin," he said in horror. He looked at her. "Luce, your family. Every bloody male is going to be after me now. And all the females – I've heard about your Aunt Ginny's bat bogey hexes." He looked terrified, and rightly so. "James told me once that he blew up the kitchen, and his dad had to stop her from murdering him." Then he paled. "His dad . . . his dad is Harry Potter. Head of the Auror Office, the Chosen One, defeated Voldemort . . . _Harry bloody Potter._"

He banged his head against her shoulder. "I'm going to die. Everything I've risked, and your family is going to beat me to a bloody pulp and eat me for dinner."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lucy chided, looking as though she was thoroughly enjoying herself. "We wouldn't _eat _you. We're not cannibals."

Will gave her a look. He hadn't failed to notice how she didn't say anything about the part where they beat him to a bloody part. "I had so much life ahead of me," he said despairingly.

"The older relatives will probably let you live," she comforted him. "They'll want to save some threatening for the younger guys – you know, all the Legacy members, starting with my Auror cousin Teddy Lupin?"

"I don't suppose it's too late to reconsider?" Will asked hopefully. Lucy gave him an outraged look and hit him over the head, reaching for her wand. "Kidding!" He put his hands up, eyeing her wand.

Lucy didn't look impressed. "At least you're not acting like a Gryffindor anymore."

Will shrugged. "Sorry, but you aren't worth my life. Ow! I was joking! Bloody hell, woman. And they say women only get violent after marriage. Hey! That hurt!"

* * *

Lily's fingers closed around the snitch, and she held it up in the air to overwhelming cheers from three-fourths of the stands, and boos from the Hufflepuffs.

"SLYTHERIN WINS 320-30!" shouted the commentator. Lily shook her fist in the air, overjoyed, as her teammates encircled her, clapping her on the shoulder and celebrating. Her family was cheering for her, and therefore the Gryffindors were cheering for her. The Ravenclaws, who were hoping that Slytherin would beat Gryffindor in the next game so that they wouldn't have to face them to win the House Cup, were cheering because Slytherin's chances of being the team in second place (and bumping Gryffindor from first to third, therefore ensuring that the final match would be Ravenclaw versus Slytherin, as Ravenclaws were currently in second place for the Cup).

"Miss Potter," Professor McGonagall called. "Congratulations on your win. You'll be up against Gryffindor next." Lily watched her suspiciously. Although she never said it, as she was no longer Head of Gryffindor House, everyone knew that the Headmistress hoped Gryffindor won both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup. "Your family has been called out of school for the day, as it is the day of the trial."

Lily's eyes widened. "Oh."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "If you would follow me, please."

They collected the rest of her family, as well as Alice and Scorpius (the Woods and the Scamanders were not allowed to come) and headed for the Headmistress's office. Lily received a lot of high-fives from them.

A sense of foreboding and nervousness undermined her euphoria, however, and as they Flooed out, Lily found herself praying for Teddy, who had been given the authority to do the questioning.

This was where it all came to a head. If it worked out, good.

If not, they faced Azkaban.

* * *

Teddy took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Thankfully, they hadn't caught the Imperious curse when the representative – Andrew Danforth – consented to be asked five questions under veritaserum.

He was about to go in now, and he couldn't stop worrying. Harry had given him a reassuring smile and a nod before leaving, as Teddy was supposed to be alone in the room. But Harry had no way of knowing why Teddy was so anxious.

There was a knock on the door, and a young trainee poked his head in. "They're ready for the questioning, sir."

Teddy gave him a curt nod and followed the trainee out. He stepped up to Danforth, who was seated in a chair. He prayed that the Imperious had worked and that Danforth wouldn't blurt everything that came to mind out, as veritaserum typically caused those without restraint to do.

"Mr. Danforth, you are aware that your consent was given for veritaserum to be used?" Teddy asked. The answer was yes – Teddy had said nothing about willingness.

"Yes," said Danforth, clenching his jaw. He couldn't back out now without being charged guilty. Perhaps he could weasel his way out of the questions, however. He had spent quite a bit of time around Slytherins. This wasn't likely, though – Teddy had devised his questions very carefully.

Danforth wasn't currently under the Imperious, of course, but he would remember making the resolution and he would know that even if the truth came out, it would be worse for him than it would be this way. Danforth wasn't like the other Riddlers; he wasn't as invested in the cause. He wasn't willing to risk something worse than a lifetime in Azkaban just to see Legacy brought down.

"Is it agreed by every Riddler that you are representative of the Riddlers, and whatever verdict that is placed on you shall also be placed on them?" Teddy asked.

"Yes."

"Did you join an organization known as the Riddlers that showed malignant interest in the Potter, Weasley, Longbottom, and Malfoy children?"

"Yes."

"Did the Riddlers deliberately use a sleeping draught potion on Albus Severus Potter, Rose Ginevra Weasley, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, and Alice Hannah Longbottom with the intent of harming them?" They had, even if not the way the story was told – when they first kidnapped the four, they had knocked them out for easy, struggle-free transport.

"Yes." A trickle of sweat made its way down Danforth's face.

"Are the following –" and Teddy read the list of names – "all members of the Riddlers?"

Danforth swallowed. "Yes."

"Are there any names missing?"

"No."

Teddy nodded and stepped back, gesturing to the Wizengamot that he was finished with the Auror line of questioning.

"Then you, Andrew Danforth, and consequently every member of the Riddlers, are charged guilty."

* * *

"The Riddlers' inner circle members are all sentenced to life sentences in Azkaban on charge of use of an Unforgivable Curse and attempted murder, and the others are expelled from school and have taken Unbreakable Vows not to harm us in any way, or to ask or help anyone else to harm us," Teddy told his family.

"You did well in there, Teddy," Harry told him, clapping him on the shoulder as Teddy offered the legacy members a tiny, conspiratorial smile. It had been his first questioning for an Auror's Investigative trial.

"Thanks," Teddy said, smiling at his godfather.

Rose turned to Scorpius. "Can I talk to you outside?" she asked.

He looked at her curiously. "Of course. What's wrong?"

They left the room and stood in the hallway as Rose bit her lip and looked at the floor nervously. _Where's your Gryffindor courage, Rose? _"Well . . ." she said, and then she grabbed the front of his robes and kissed him roughly.

"That," she said when she pulled back. Scorpius was staring at her in astonishment, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Sorry. I just – I figured as a Gryffindor I shouldn't hide that from you. I thought it would go away, but I was probably kidding myself, so . . ."

He kissed her again, and suddenly Rose found it a lot easier to smile. After a while, they decided it was time to go back inside, because neither of them fancied a gruesome death by family.

They got back just in time to hear Teddy clear his throat nervously. "Everyone, I've got an announcement to make."

It took a while, but eventually they quieted. Teddy glanced at Vic, who was beaming from beside his. "We're getting married," she blurted out, unable to take Teddy's silence.

There was an instant response – a series of "congrats, mate!"s and "finally"s went about the room, and for some reason, Rose saw Will Raven's shoulders slump in relief from where he was standing beside Lucy.

Then she caught the glint of an engagement ring and grinned to herself, nudging Scorpius and pointing. "Who knew nearly dying could cause so much romance?"

"Everyone!" shouted Will over the top over their voices, and they eventually quieted down again. "Ah . . ." He held up Lucy's hand, showing off the Raven family ring on her finger. "We're getting married too."

He escaped the threats through sheer luck – the general good mood from the end of the trial and Teddy and Victoire's engagement announcement was still running, and so Lucy and Will were congratulated heartily. As Rose congratulated both her cousins, she had no doubt that Will would be severely threatened later on, but he was safe for now.

"I suppose this means they won't notice us," Scorpius said with a grin, taking her hand.

Unfortunately, this was not true. Ron Weasley saw his daughter holding hands with Scorpius Malfoy and felt the need to point it out to Scorpius's father, whose heart sank horribly when he saw that it was indeed true.

"Oh, Merlin," Draco Malfoy said in horror as his wife beamed beside him. Needless to say, Astoria was took home a very drunk, very depressed Draco Malfoy that night.

As money exchanged hands and Harry Potter winked at them both, much to the astonishment of the two, Ron Weasley decided his threat was due. "I'm an Auror and my best mate's the head of the Auror Office," he told Scorpius. "Don't hurt Rose."

Then, shockingly, he turned to Rose. "This boy has been a part of our family for years, and if you hurt him, you will suffer. And congrats on finally realizing your feelings. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

As Scorpius and Rose exchanged bewildered glances, Ron walked off, feeling quite satisfied with himself.

They went back to Hogwarts that night, and quickly settled back into their routine – they still held Legacy meetings, although they hardly ever had duels in the halls anymore. The adults never found out the story of what truly happened, but it wasn't important anymore.

They had proved that they were worthy to themselves, and that was enough. The whole thing had changed quite a few of their views. Rose, for example, had new aspirations to become a Healer – she wanted to find advancements for ailments and conditions like cancer . . . or perhaps blindness.

They didn't let the story of Legacy die out completely, however. They added their memories to a flask that someday might be added to the pensieve, and Morgan Wood, who had always wanted to write, put their story into a book.

Someday, they knew, long after they were gone, their story would be known to the world. But for now, they had achieved what they had wanted, and they were content.

Generations later, a Potter, a Malfoy, and a Weasley found a book . . .


End file.
